Time for distance education not distancing education - GTEC

The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in collaboration with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) has initiated moves with other stakeholders with the focus of developing a policy framework for distance education (DE) regulation in Ghana.

One such move was a one-day workshop organized by GTEC with all the other stakeholders and was aimed at shaping the future of education in the country through a constructive dialogue that will pave the way for a robust and inclusive policy framework.

Speaking at the workshop in Accra, the Director General of GTEC, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, stated that “Distance education presents a unique opportunity to address the challenges of access and equity in education, particularly in a country as diverse and geographically dispersed as Ghana”.

Creating a balance

“It is equally important to recognize that in providing a robust D E, its quality, integrity, and effectiveness rely on the bedrock of an effective regulator system. As we navigate the complexities of distance education, it becomes increasingly imperative to establish a robust regulatory framework that ensures accountability, safeguards standards, and fosters innovation,” he said.

The workshop with the theme: ‘The development of a policy framework for distance education in Ghana’, among other things was to help shape distance education to perfection.

It brought together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds such as policymakers, educators and industry experts dedicated to crafting regulations that reflect the needs and aspirations of all those impacted by distance education in Ghana.

A team from the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) who for the past two and half years under the Partnership Education Blended Learning Project (PEBL) have been supporting GTEC in its activities also joined online.

The members participated in this important dialogue with their expertise, insights, and commitment which are invaluable towards the development of a policy framework for distance education regulation in Ghana.

Purging of the system

The Director General stressed on the need for stakeholders within the distance educational delivery architecture to purge themselves of the culture of criss-crossing the country on the excuse of providing distance education. This, he referred to as distancing education.

The GTEC Director-General indicated that the development of a policy framework for distance education regulation necessitates a thorough examination of the opportunities and challenges inherent in this evolving landscape, adding that distance education offers unprecedented flexibility and accessibility and also poses unique risks related to quality assurance, accreditation, and learner support.

“Central to our discussions today should be the principle of balance. We must strike a delicate equilibrium between promoting innovation and safeguarding against potential risks and abuses. Our regulatory framework for DE should foster a culture of innovation and experimentation, while also providing clear guidelines and mechanisms for oversight and accountability”. Prof. Jinapor said.

He explained that by doing so, they could create an environment that encourages the responsible use of technology and pedagogical practices to enhance learning outcomes and expand access to education for all Ghanaians.

Need for uniformity

Mr Dadzie Mensah, a Director at the GTEC said the lack of a policy regulating distance learning has led to several institutions operating distance education with no internal distance learning policies and those with DE policies, the policies are often insufficient or lacking in effectiveness.

He stated that only twelve (12) institutions in the country representing approximately four per cent of institutions in Ghana currently run DE programmes and almost all of them were into technology-mediated learning aspects which present themselves as distance education component of their regular face-to-face delivery of academic instruction.

Mr Mensah mentioned that out of the few that were into DE, about 67 percent of them had DE policies of varying degrees of satisfaction based on the mode of delivery and level of student support required.

The Director said a new policy framework for the country would bring about a uniform regulation to regulate the space in the country properly.