An Impressionistic View of
Swaziland
The challenge for educators in Swaziland, as in other Southern African countries, is to
provide the type of education that is appropriate and viable for all its people within
available financial and other resource capacities. A feature of the present system of
education is that it is not adequately adapted to meet the changing and growing needs of
the country. Educators at all levels and in all areas are grappling with issues of
relevance, accessibility and quality, and some programmes, like the Sebenta National
Literacy Programme, are in the process of restructuring.
Distance education is not provided on a large scale and at present
there are three organizations, which are located close to Mbabane and Manzini,that provide
programmes using distance education methods: the Institute for Distance Education (IDE)
and the Division of Extra Mural Services (DEMS) at the University of Swaziland, and the
Emlalatini Development Centre (EDC). These organizations are closely linked and are all
members of the Distance Education Association of Southern Africa (DEASA)
Institute of Distance Education (IDE)
The Institute of Distance Education was established in 1994 by the
Senate of the University of Swaziland. The Institute enables the university to admit
applicants who qualify for higher education but who are not able to gain admittance to the
university because of lack of space and capacity. It also offers students who are unable
to study full-time due to work and family commitments opportunities to acquire higher
education qualifications. The learner target groups include school leavers, post high
school students and adults who are employed, unemployed, and self employed. The number of
students who enrol with IDE has increased significantly from less than 100 in 1995 to some
500 students in 1999. There is anecdotal evidence that some of the IDE students are
obtaining results that compare very favourably with results obtained by full-time
students.
IDE offers all programmes using the distance education mode of delivery
to off campus students. The courses on offer include:
- Bachelor Education (Adult Education) degree;
- Bachelor of Humanities (Languages) degree;
- Diploma in Commerce;
- Diploma in Law; and
- Certificate in French.
Print is the main medium of tuition, and the modules are supplemented
with face-to-face tutoring at the main campus and at regional centres. Such centres have
been established in strategic locations such as training centres, colleges, large schools,
and regional educational centres. The criteria for selecting centres included: centrality
of the location of the centre; availability of basic infrastructure (for example, rooms,
electricity, and water); accessibility by means of public transport, and the number of
students it could accommodate. Regional centres have a work-space for a regional centre
coordinator, an appropriate resource/reading room for the students, a classroom for
face-to-face tutorials, a store room for keeping learning materials and equipment, and a
resource room. They are also equipped with a filing cabinet to store learning support
materials (course reading and reference materials, etc), equipment such as a VCR, radio
cassette player, television set, computer, and student records. The regional centres are
staffed by part-time coordinators and part-time course tutors.
The learning materials are written by university lecturers and produced
in-house using desk-top publishing and heavy duty photocopying equipment. IDE plans to
supplement print and face-to-face teaching and learning with radio broadcast,
audio-cassettes, audio-video, television broadcast, desktop tutoring and teleconferencing.
IDE is slowly gaining recognition as an organization that provides a
viable tertiary education alternative for a growing number of students.
Division of Extra Mural Services (DEMS)
The Division of Extra Mural Studies provides professional education and
training in adult and continuing education, and is involved in helping organizations,
institutions, and community groups to increase their effectiveness.
DEMS offers two part-time programmes leading to educational
qualifications. The two formal programmes on offer are:
- Certificate in Adult Education, which is a two year part-time programme that students
attend on campus; and
- Diploma in Adult Education, which is also a two year part-time programme.
Having expertise in adult education DEMS staff were involved in the
design and development of the Bachelor of Education (Adult Education) degree programme.
They also act as tutors for the programme, which is offered through distance education by
the Institute of Distance Education (IDE) at the university.
Participants for these adult education programmes are drawn from both
the public service and private enterprises and non-governmental organizations. Many of
them are adult educators in the fields of agriculture, health education, commerce,
industry, social welfare, community development and the army, correctional services and
police. Those graduating from the programmes have been placed in positions such as
coordinators of rural education centres, community development officers, extension work
supervisors and trainers in government and private sector organizations.
Staff are also involved in running short courses of a non-formal nature
in areas such as Management, Training and Development, Adult Education, Small Business
Management, Computer Literacy, Audio Visual Technology, Stress Management and Retirement.
Collaboration and Networks
The primary aim of the division is to maintain the programmes listed.
However there are other ways in which DEMS provides a valuable service to the community.
At the request of the police college and correctional services staff, and in collaboration
with them, DEMS runs an ongoing management training programme for Police and Correctional
Services. The division also functions as the secretariat for the Swaziland Institute of
Personnel Management and for the Swaziland Association of Adult Education (SAAE). The
director is a member of the board at Sebenta, the National Literacy Programme. DEMS is a
member of the Distance Education Association of Southern Africa (DEASA). It cooperates and
maintains links with the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE), the
Commonwealth Association for the Education and Training of Adults (CAETA), The
Commonwealth of Learning (COL), and the German Adult Education Association (DVV).
Emlalatini Development Centre (EDC)
The history of Emlalatini Development Centre can be traced back to
1970, when correspondence education was pioneered by Ephesus House. This project was
established to assist nationals and refugees, especially from South Africa, the
opportunity to continue with their secondary school education. The students were given
self-study materials, which were supported by long residential sessions. From this early
stage, a substantial face-to-face support was offered as an important component of the
delivery of the programme.
In 1972 Ephesus House changed its name to Swaziland International
Education Centre (SIEC). Then, in 1978, the centre ceased to be a project and was
incorporated as part of the Ministry of Education. From then on the centre became known as
the Emlalatini Development Centre.
EDC has three divisions:
- The correspondence centre which offers two secondary school programmes: Junior
Certificate, and the O’level Cambridge General Certificate of Education;
- A vocational training centre, and
- The agriculture teachers’ in-service training centre, which trains teachers who are
responsible for teaching agriculture in the primary school. These are mainly residential
courses with some correspondence teaching components.
Learners who enrol with the EDC correspondence centre are mainly school
leavers, school drop outs and those who failed the junior certificate and O-level
examinations. A very small group, about 3% are primary school teachers, and some 10% are
working people from industry and the civil service. About two thirds of the learners have
had prior experience of the conventional school system. Females constitute 49% of enrolled
learners, and the age of learners ranges from 15 to 40 years.
EDC has a block enrolment system which enables learners to enrol twice
a year: from January to April and from August to September. Learners who enrol during the
second session are those who intend sitting for their examinations the following year.
Support to learners has always been considered important at EDC and learners have access
to the following support:
- They receive printed materials in the form of self study workbooks;
- 15-minute radio programmes are offered three times a week for subjects such as English
Language and Literature. Towards the end of the year programmes are aired on examination
hints. Radio is also used for announcements pertaining to examination, registration,
timetable and other relevant information for learners;
- Face-to-face support is offered in different ways: one week intensive residential
sessions are run during April/May to guide learners who are preparing themselves for the
end of year examination, from May onwards one day tutorial sessions are held at the main
centre every Tuesday and Thursday, and learners have access to tutors whenever they need
it;
- Learners can visit tutors at the main centre for support when they need it. Most
learners who have access to a telephone use it for enquiries about administrative issues.
EDC has established six study centres, which are located at rural
education centres (REC). RECs are attached to high schools, and EDC takes advantage of
employed teachers to act as part-time tutors. Tutors are responsible for marking tests,
organizing tutorials, and offering guidance to learners according to their needs. The
coordinators of the rural education centres also take responsibility for the EDC study
centres.
Use of Technology
Radio is the most common technology used in distance and adult
education programmes. The Swaziland Broadcasting and Information Service (SBIS) is a
public broadcasting service. It does not produce educational programmes itself, but allows
government institutions like Sebenta (meaning ‘work’) and Emlalatini Development
Centre to produce their programmes at the station. Such programmes are broadcast free of
charge.
The University of Swaziland has several computer laboratories that have
Internet access. One of these is for the dedicated use of small groups of full-time
students from the Humanities who study academic communication skills. Two other
laboratories have about 35 computer workstations, and are run by the computer department
for use by students who study computer science and information systems. Students from IDE
and DEMS can arrange to use these computers.
Factors That Have an Impact on Distance
Education and Use of Technology
Although the Institute for Distance Education has been actively
promoting the use of distance education, particularly at the university, the preferred
mode of delivery is full-time face-to-face and the perception that distance education is
second rate is very difficult to change among students and educators. Some factors that
have to be considered when making decisions about the use of technology and distance
education methods are:
- Swaziland is a small country with a population of just around one million people. It is
possible to travel from north to south, and east to west in two hours.
- The relatively small numbers of learners often do not warrant the costly development of
own course materials.
- Developed and major regional centres are easily accessible because of a network of
tarred roads that are in good condition and the availability of a relatively good public
transport system.
- Broadcast radio and television reach all corners of the country, and recent surveys have
shown that over 80% of the people own radio/cassette players.
- Educational institutions and NGO agencies are allowed to broadcast educational
programmes free of charge on the national radio service.
- A high demand for basic education, lifelong learning, and continuing education. With
conventional institutions unable to meet the growing demand, the government is willing to
support distance education initiatives.
- Most educational institutions and schools have telephones and fax machines with the
latter being more prevalent in urban institutions. Most staff in these institutions also
hare access to e-mail and Internet facilities.
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