Distance Education Association of Tanzania (DEATA)
SAIDE

Context:
While collecting information for this global distance education network, SAIDE held several interviews with organisations in Southern African countries. Impressions of each country were generated to give some introduction to distance education and technology use in the area. Each interview has also been written up separately as a case study.

Source:
SAIDE country visits conducted in 1999

Copyright:
Permission granted

Contact Details

Postal Address: P.O. Box 23049
Dar es Salaam
Tanzania
Telephone: +255 51 668-992
Fax: +255 51 668-759
E-mail: echale@out.ac.tz
Contact: Dr Egino M. Chale (Chairperson)

Description

The Distance Education Association of Tanzania (DEATA) is a national association, which was established in December 1992 and registered in August 1993. Its membership is currently made up of: the Ministry of Education and Culture; the Open University of Tanzania; the University of Dar es Salaam; the Vocational Education and Training Authority; the Muhimbili University College for Health Sciences; the Southern African Extension Unit; the Institute of Adult Education; and the Cooperative College Moshi.

The goal of DEATA is to promote networking and collaboration among distance education professionals in Tanzania. It aims to do this because, in Tanzania, where educational enrolments and budgets for education are low, distance education has a crucial role to play. In such a context, sharing of resources becomes critical and an association such as DEATA has a crucial role to play in supporting this. The DEATA Constitution sketches out its role as follows:

Guided by the long and rich experience of distance education institutions in educating the adult population in Tanzania; persuaded of the need for sharing experience and networking among institutions involved in distance education; and convinced of the positive impact of the same in improving the performance of both formal and non-formal education institutions in Tanzania, we hereby resolve to constitute a body whose primary purposes shall be to promote distance education, act as a clearing house for member institutions and provide advice to institutions concerned with distance education. This body shall be purely voluntary, professional, non-profit making, non-sectarian and non-political in outlook and philosophy.

Since its inauguration, the organization has been involved in a range of professional development activities, including: representing Tanzanian distance education at regional and international distance education gatherings; participating in a National Forum on Distance Education; and running professional development workshops on topics such as materials writing and providing student support services. DEATA has also participated actively in the recent establishment of the Open Learning and Distance Education Association of East Africa.