BOCODOL transforms into open varsity

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Tuesday February 21, 2012 00:00

 

This move was motivated by the college's mandate to make education accessible to out of school youth and adults, especially those who are not absorbed by tertiary institutions and the employed. The process started two years ago.  The public relations and marketing coordinator at BOCODOL, Thuso Palai said the transformation was supported by the 1998 Act No. 20, which states that the college could offer academic, professional, vocational and technical education as may be determined by the board. 'For the college to offer these it has to have a status of a university hence the transformation,' Palai said.

He added that government has already approved the proposal. The transformation meant that BOCODOL would offer postgraduate programmes using the open and distance learning mode.

'This therefore means more people will have access to higher levels of education without leaving their jobs if they are employed, or those who could not make it to conventional tertiary institutions either because of shortage of places or any other reasons will be able to do so,' he said.  Asked whether the fees would not go up and make learning restrictive to those at school equivalency level (junior and senior secondary levels), he said that would not be the case. Palai said research has indicated that it costs about three times to access education in a conventional school than in an open learning institution.

He denied that the transformation would see BOCODOL abandon its traditional market that is those at school equivalency level. The college has taken a well-informed decision to continue offering these programmes, he said.

'This is confirmed by the decision to have a school of education in its structures. The only change is that the school equivalency may be offered using agents who will be directly responsible to BOCODOL,' he explained.

The Open University will offer some programmes online. At the moment, BOCODOL offers some programmes in collaboration with Indian universities through the tele-education system. Palai said this mode of learning encouraged real time interaction with lecturers. The college is currently a participant in the development of material for the open educational resources.

Palai said enrolment was intended to be open to all irrespective of geographical location. However, the main challenge he pointed out was facilities to enable online studying.

Asked whether there was consultation on the transformation, he said it was widely communicated to all stakeholders. 

'Apart from consultations within government structures, the board of the college in collaboration with management and the Ministry of Education officials went around the country consulting on the transformation,' he clarified.

Palai said the participants in these consultations were persons from a very wide spectrum of society, including civil society, private sector, individuals and the public sector.