PCF5:Improving access

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Title of session

Improving access

Session details

• Date: 16 July 2008
• Time: 11:00 - 12:30
• Room: Room 801

Session papers

• Dr Peter Cannel & Dr Lindsay Hewitt, Access to higher Education, language and academic literacy (213)
• Mrs Eunice Kete, Open and distance learning as key to children and young people in conflict regions in achieving social justice (586)
• Dr margaret Kovach, Dora Leigh Bjornson and Harpell Montgomery, Distance education for social justice in the wireless era: enabling indigenous students’ access to post-secondary education through distance learning (340)
• Dr Abdul Mannan and Mr Albert Nukiutu, Higher education institution in post conflict recovery: a case study of Bougainville Autonomous Region of Papua New Guinea (77)
• Dr edith Mhehe, Women improvise ‘learning technologies’ to access learning for development: increase access and success in higher education and manage family roles (198)
• Dr Nanda Wanniarachchi, Rights-based approach on education and management to protect child rights and reduce drop out rate of students in the Open School system in Sri Lanka (285)

Key Issues that arose in the session

• The need to establish a link between language and culture as a determining factor on providing access to higher education.
• The need for self reflective assessment to establish language proficiency for access to higher education.
• In many context ‘social justice s’ reflects the need to decolonise learning.
• Social justice is achieved by solving problems in the context of culture.
• Language and culture are primary factors in delivering on ODL and social/cultural issues must be taken into account when ODL programmes are developed.
• Education and learner support must be offered in a cultural context otherwise it is bound to fail.
• Education must as far as is possible be maintained in conflict situations.

Points for future action (Policy, recommendations, commitments etc.)

• Greater use must be made of indigenous, gender and language advisors when developing ODL programmes.
• Culture must be infused into the delivery of ODL programmes with special regard language.
• ODL may be an effective method of delivering on the educational mandate during conflict situations.
• Policies to provide for the incorporation of social and cultural issues in to the development of ODL programmes must be devised.