The contribution of distance teaching on educational development in Namibia

Abstract

No abstract by author. The following is the author's Introduction:

Information on Namibia is hard to come by. This shortage is due to three causes: 1. As a result of the integration of Namibia into the Republic of South Africa certain data are not collected separately for Namibia. For example, data on foreign affairs and trade. 2. For many sectors, there is either no statistical apparatus at all or it is working only inadequately, e. g. there are no statistical data on industry. Health data are collected, but not processed. 3. The government of South Africa has ordered all administrative and economic institutions which come under its jurisdiction not to publish or communicate any information on Namibia

Having said that, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to make proposals for alternative forms of education, which could supplement the traditional system, and here I have in mind specifically distance education, unless one has gathered and analysed information and relevant data on how systems tried out in other countries have been able to meet the needs of those countries

The question whether traditional forms of education can solve all the problems of developing countries has been raised in conferences and meetings, on solving educational problems in developing countries. Namibia, given the present policies will find it exceptionally hard to rely on the traditional education system

The apartheid policy is more explicit in educational terms. The political power which is mainly exercised by the white people is more linked with educational attainment, particularly for black people who could not hope to achieve the high level of income or property readily available to the white people. The black people have until now been kept apart to a considerable extent by both legal and social processes, a separation which has been extended to education

The two systems of education, one for white people and another for the black people, has had a profound adverse effect on Namibian society. Education is neither free nor compulsory for black people, and access to secondary education (required for the vote) is limited by the costs imposed and by the inadequate places provided for even those qualified to obtain them. The two separate systems of education have attributed to the inequality in Namibian society. Education is only one of the many problems which will have to be faced and solved. But it cannot be solved in isolation from the rest of the problems. The growth of the education system must be placed in the social, economic and historical context

The writer is thus aware that many of the problems facing Namibia today are not educational at all. Therefore, changing the educational system alone would not solve all the other problems. Given this exposition, the writer believes that whatever system is to be introduced after independence, should attempt to redress the imbalance in educational provision to provide education for all. Given the present system of education, it is evident that there would be innumerable obstacles to overcome in the reconstruction of the education system. The conventional way of tackling these problems is, through provision of more schools and training teachers in the required numbers in the traditional way. But would this be feasible for Namibia after independence? Alternatives to the formal school system of education is discussed in this study as a major concern of developing countries. Furthermore, the writer has attempted to suggest an alternative form which could supplement the traditional system in Namibia