Appendix B

Present Provision Of Distance Education In South Africa

Originally Compiled by the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) on behalf of the Distance Education Association of Southern Africa (DEASA)  

 Introduction 

Since the compilation of Open Learning and Distance Education in South Africa, the report of an International Commission, by SAIDE in 1994, the context of distance education in South Africa has changed considerably. In the South African White Paper on Education and Training of 1995, the Ministry of Education has expressed its commitment to distance education:

‘The white paper has identified distance education as an essential mechanism for achieving its goals. However, it does not envisage distance education as an activity solely for dedicated distance education institutions. Rather, it sees distance education methods being adopted by a very wide range of institutions and organizations. Its sees distance education having relevance in at least five areas central to Education for All. 

‘Firstly, the provision of quality basic education for all children will require massive initial and in-service training of teachers. The white paper suggests that distance education should play a major role in this task, but notes that the current provision must be entirely transformed….‘Secondly, the white paper envisages a key role for distance education in ABET programmes where appropriate….‘Thirdly, the white paper notes that, at the Further Education level, a comprehensive interlocking sector needs to be planned which provides a purposeful education experience to learners at the post-compulsory phase, irrespective of age, place, and time of delivery. The role of well-functioning distance education in developing this level is envisaged as being considerable. ‘Fourthly, the white paper suggests in its discussion of financial considerations that it should invest in research and development on the appropriateness of distance education strategies for different learning goals…. It is hoped that distance education strategies will be cost-effective in meeting the anticipated vast demands from youth, women, workers and self-employed persons, and students at institutions.

‘Finally, and most importantly, the white paper states that “The dimensions of South Africa’s learning deficit are so vast in relation to the needs of the people, the constitutional guarantee of the right to basic education, and the severe financial constraints on infrastructural development on a large scale, that a completely fresh approach is required to the provision of learning opportunities.”

‘The Ministry proposes that open learning is such an approach, which it believes has applicability to virtually all learning contexts. It sees open learning as an approach which combines the principles of “learner centredness, lifelong learning, flexibility of learning provision, the removal of barriers to access learning, the recognition for credit of prior learning experience, the provision of learner support, the construction of learning programmes in the expectation that learners can succeed, and the maintenance of rigorous quality assurance over the design of learning materials and support systems.” The Ministry proposes to establish a National Open Learning Agency, as a flexible and responsive agency, whose task would be to promote open learning principles and assist institutions to translate these principles into practice.’[1] 

Similarly, the National Commission on Higher Education’s framework for transformation incorporates distance education and also refers to resource-based learning:

‘A key challenge for higher education is to enhance the quality of higher education programmes and to improve success and throughput rates. This challenge must be met in the context of greatly increased access to a wide diversity of students at varying entry levels, and within a higher education budget that increases significantly slower than enrolments rise. The Commission believes that distance education and resource-based learning are a fundamental part of meeting this challenge, and that this will have major implications both for South Africa’s well-established distance/correspondence institutions and for traditionally ‘contact’ institutions.

‘A further challenge is to move higher education in the direction of becoming an open learning system… a system that promotes lifelong learning, not merely at the margins for small groups of “mature” students, but in its basic shape and structure…. redress must apply to individuals, and particularly those previously denied higher education opportunities. If future policy concentrates on school leavers it will offer equity only to their children. It is at this point that the economic imperative of providing flexible lifelong learning opportunities and the political promise of redress coincide. The Commission believes that the challenges outlined above make it essential for the new system to include a far greater focus on distance education and resource-based learning as key mechanisms, together with the increased recognition of prior learning and the articulation of qualifications through the NQF, for increasing access and enhancing openness and lifelong learning opportunities.’ (pp. 118-119) 

The national education department has also shown its commitment to improving the quality of distance education by launching a project aimed at developing quality standards for distance education. It is envisaged that these will provide guidelines for providers, learners, employers, and the National Department itself in setting up and evaluating distance education provision. Also included in the report will be a chapter on how these quality standards can be used in the general quality assurance system to be put into place, mainly through the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). 

The National Association of Distance Education Organizations in South Africa (NADEOSA) was launched on the 2^nd of August 1996 with the aim of improving the quality of distance education in South Africa, and Jennifer Glennie, director of SAIDE, was elected president. It is hoped that providers and facilitators of educational opportunities will use this forum to engage with the continuous problems of ensuring quality and excellence in their work. The changing South African context has both affected established distance education institutions and resulted in some new distance education initiatives. In the overview which follows, we will concentrate on describing present arrangements for open learning and distance education, taking into account the following issues: organization, supervision, policy formulation, links with other organizations, and training, as well as describing briefly some emerging initiatives[2]. 

We will discuss distance education provision under the following categories: the University of South Africa, Technikon SA, the Technical College of South Africa, Vista University, commercial correspondence colleges, colleges of education, residential universities and technikons, corporate distance education providers, and non-governmental organizations.     

 The University of South Africa  (UNISA) 

 

The University of South Africa (UNISA) was established as a federation of colleges in 1916 (although its roots can be traced back to the founding of the University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1873). As each of these colleges became independent, UNISA gradually came to focus more and more on its provision of ‘external studies’, until, in 1946, it became a fully-fledged correspondence university and now falls under the jurisdiction of the House of Assembly[3]. Its mission today is to offer ‘university education by means of distance teaching to all meeting the entrance requirements. On the basis of the principles of equal opportunity and academic excellence it engages in teaching, research and community service, thus providing southern African society with suitably qualified people, knowledge and expertise to meet the needs and aspirations of all communities’[4].  

UNISA is an autonomous institution under its own statute and governed by its own council,  and its academic head is a member of the Committee of University Principals (CUP). The CUP is a statutory committee which considers policy initiatives and other matters of common interest to the universities. In addition, UNISA is linked to the government in policy formulation through the Advisory Council for Universities and Technikons (AUT). This statutory body brings together representatives of the CUP and the Committee for Technikon Principals (CTP) and experts from commerce and industry, statutory institutions, and the public sector, and it advises the Minister of Education on a wide range of matters, including student subsidies, course development, and the allocation of programmes to universities and technikons. 

With 128 454 registered students in 1996, UNISA is currently the largest university in South Africa. Approximately 84.5% of these students are enrolled in undergraduate degrees, and 14.8% of undergraduate enrolments are transfer undergraduates (that is, students who had been registered at some time in the past at another higher education institution). The percentages of various groupings for 1996 enrolments are as follows:

 

African	49.1%	Under 25 Years	27.2%
White	38%	25-29 Years	27%
Coloured	3.9%	30-39 Years	33.9%
Asian	9%	Above 39 Years	12%

 

	African	White	Coloured	Asian	TOTAL
Female	59.4%	49.4%	50.9%	55.4%	54.9%
Male	40.6%	50.6%	49.1%	44.6%	45.1%

 

In 1996, the enrolled students are distributed geographically as follows: 36% from Gauteng; 12% from Northern Province; 4.5% from the North West; 7% from the Eastern Cape; 18.5% from Kwazulu-Natal; 5.9% from Mpumalanga; 2.6% from the Free State; 8.3% from Western Cape; 0.8% from Northern Cape ; 3.1% from the rest of Africa; and 1.3% from the rest of the world. 

In 1996, there are 3 040 permanent, full-time, and part-time staff members employed at the university, 1 393 of whom are teaching and research staff and 2 066 of whom are non-teaching. Statistics indicate that white staff members comprise 86.7% of academic staff, 93.8% of executive and management staff, 72.2% of non-professional administrative staff, and 0% of service or unskilled staff. At the same time, male staff members comprise 51.8% of academic staff, 77.8% of executive and management staff, 42.4% of non-professional administrative staff, and 93% of service or unskilled staff. 

Courses are offered in Afrikaans and English (with most being written in Afrikaans and then translated into English). The basic teaching method at UNISA is for an academic member of staff in Pretoria to teach a course to students distributed throughout the country. He or she does this primarily by writing printed study guides and tutorial letters. Some study guides are designed to stand alone, while others are wrap-around guides which accompany textbooks. Courses are heavily print-orientated because it is believed that this is the medium most accessible to students. In addition, however, audio-cassettes are distributed for many subjects. All academic matters are carried out and controlled by the central campus in Pretoria. UNISA has, however, decentralized the administration of student enrolments to regional administrative centres in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, Pietersburg, and Cape Town (each of which also offers students library facilities).  

UNISA currently has five UNISA Learning Centres in the Western Cape, Northern Province, Kwazulu/Natal, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. It also has six Satellite Learning Centres, situated in the Western Cape, Gauteng, Kwazulu/Natal, Northern Province, and the Eastern Cape. Other student support facilities are:

•      student counselling which can be done by letter, phone, or at the regional centres (Durban, Cape Town,  Pietersburg, Johannesburg, and at main campus);

•      workshops at the Regional Centres on academic skills and development;

•      course development teams which provide information, concerning issues such as choice of a profession, or new courses. This information is included in the study package;

•      a student development certificate course which is intended for prospective students to prepare themselves for tertiary studies.

UNISA is divided into six faculties (Arts, Economic and Management Sciences, Education, Law, Science, and Theology) comprising 60 departments, 4 bureaux, and 17 centres, and institutes. In 1996, most of UNISA’s students followed study programmes in the Arts, with 29 862 in language; 13 090 in humanities; and 48 505 in social science. 40 797 did Economic and Management Sciences and only 5 969 studied science and technology. 

UNISA has 475 examination centres worldwide. In 1995, the University awarded 11 527 degrees and diplomas, consisting of 1 205 diplomas, 9 917 Bachelor’s degrees[5], 323 Master’s degrees, and 82 Doctorate degrees. Various categories of throughput figures for nine undergraduate degrees (divided according to race) indicate that, of students enrolled in 1984 and 1985, percentages of between 5% and 20% of different racial groups of students had typically graduated by 1992 (although extreme percentages within categories ranged from 0% to 33.6%). The following are examples of throughput figures (these statistics were not available for 1996 and so the 1993 figures have been used):

 

BACHELOR OF COMMERCE DEGREE (1993)
	White	African	Coloured	Indian	TOTAL
1984 Enrolments	3118	497	149	396	4 160
Graduates by 1992	373	43	11	38	465
% Graduates	12%	8.7%	7.4%	9.6%	11.2%

 

BACHELOR OF COMMERCE DEGREE (1993)
	White	African	Coloured	Indian	TOTAL
1985 Enrolments	3 383	589	178	508	4 658
Graduates by 1992	340	31	13	34	418
% Graduates	10.1%	5.3%	7.3%	6.7%	9%

 

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE (1993)
	White	African	Coloured	Indian	TOTAL
1984 Enrolments	722	247	65	105	1 139
Graduates by 1992	37	8	1	8	54
% Graduates	5.1%	3.2%	1.5%	7.6%	4.7%

 

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE (1993)
	White	African	Coloured	Indian	TOTAL
1985 Enrolments	768	283	74	194	1 319
Graduates by 1992	40	14	1	13	68
% Graduates	5.2%	4.9%	1.4%	6.7%	5.2%

 

The statistics for the Bachelor of Education degree (BEd), which is a postgraduate degree, provide an exception to the picture provided by most throughput figures. The throughput figures for students enrolled in this degree in 1984 and 1985 were as follows[6]:

 

BEd DEGREE
	White	African	Coloured	Asian	TOTAL
1984 Enrolments	164	106	30	79	379
Graduates by 1990	51	35	6	47	139
% Graduates	31.1%	33%	20%	59.5%	36.7%

 

BEd DEGREE
	White	African	Coloured	Asian	TOTAL
1985 Erolments	249	172	48	146	615
Graduates by 1991	80	52	14	78	224
% Graduates	32.1%	30.2%	29.2%	53.4%	36.4%

    

 Technikon SA 

Technikon RSA was established as an autonomous tertiary education institution in 1980 under the House of Assembly, prior to which it had functioned as the external studies facility of the Technikon Witwatersrand. It came into existence as a result of the report of a committee appointed by the Minister of National Education to ‘investigate the need for, and desirability of a technikon for distance education’[7]. In 1993, the institution changed its name to Technikon SA (standing for ‘Southern Africa’) ‘to reflect [a] commitment to playing a key role in the educational upliftment of the entire subcontinent’[8]. According to its mission, therefore, Technikon SA ‘offers quality market-related distance education and service to its clients, and is the leader in its unique application of cost-effective distance teaching technology, cooperative tertiary career education, applied research and community service in sub-Sahara Africa and beyond’[9].  

Technikon SA is based in Florida (which is in Gauteng), but has regional branch offices in Pretoria, Benoni, Bloemfontein, Durban, Cape Town, Kimberley, Kroonstad, Middelburg, Newcastle, Oudtshoorn, Pietermaritzburg, Pietersburg, East London, Port Elizabeth, Mmabatho, and Potchefstroom. Like UNISA, Technikon SA is an autonomous institution under its own statute and governed by its own council. Its academic head participates in the Committee of Technikon Principals (CTP) in considering policy initiatives and other matters of common interest. Similarly, Technikon SA is also linked to the government through the AUT. In addition, Technikon SA is linked to the Certification Council for Technikon Education. This Council determines norms and standards for courses, examinations, and the certificates of technikon qualifications. The technikons examine their own students, but certification authority is vested in the Certification Council (and the Council plans to make regular, formal visits to technikons). 

From a total of 5039 students in 1986, Technikon SA has grown in size to a total of 85 039 students in 1996. The percentages of various groupings for 1996 student enrolments are as follows:

 

African	59.1%	Under 25 Years	26%
White	30.3%	25-29 Years	32.2%
Coloured	6.8%	30-39 Years	35.4%
Asian	3.8%	Above 39 Years	6.4%

 

	White	African	Coloured	Indian	TOTAL
Male	20.5%	40.5%	5.4%	2.9%	69.3%
Female	9.8%	18.6%	1.4%	0.9%	30.7%

 

In 1996, the enrolled students were distributed geographically as follows: 38.6% from Gauteng; 8.8% from Northern Province; 5.2% from the North West; 8.3% from the Eastern Cape; 16.5% from Kwazulu/Natal; 5.8% from Mpumalanga; 6.2% from the Free State; 8.6% from Western Cape; 2% from Northern Cape ; less than 1% from the rest of Africa; and less than 1% from the rest of the world. In 1996, there were 1277 staff members at Technikon SA, 360 of whom were academic and 917 non-academic. The following statistics pertained to the staff contingent in 1993 (more recent statistics were unavailable):

 

1993 STAFF	ACADEMIC		NON-ACADEMIC		TOTAL
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
White	230	96.2%	393	82.4%	623	87%
African	4	1.7%	62	13%	66	9.2%
Coloured	4	1.7%	16	3.3%	20	2.8%
Asian	1	0.4%	6	1.3%	7	1%

 

Technikon SA’s courses are offered in Afrikaans and English (with most being written in Afrikaans and then translated into English). The Technikon has, however, also offered the communication course within the Public Relations diploma in North Sotho, Tswana, Xhosa, and Zulu since the beginning of 1994. All courses consist solely of printed materials, although Technikon SA aims to provide education on a cooperative basis with commerce and industry (whereby ‘academic tuition is continuously or periodically integrated with experiential training’[10]). From 1993, Technikon SA has made efforts to provide study space for students by establishing centres with study rooms, libraries on site or within walking distance, and, at some centres, computer facilities. It has book collections at 260 libraries throughout the country and a postal service is available for books and articles. In 1996, TSA has started implementing the Integrated Learner Centred Distance Education (ILCDE) model, and some of its functions have been decentralized to eighteen regional offices. In 1994, TSA established a centre of course-ware design and development to coordinate the production of quality courseware using project teams.  Of the total students enrolled in 1996, 48.9% were enrolled in Law, 31.4% in Business, 11.6% in Social Sciences, 4.4% in Science and Technology, 2.4% in Language, and 1.3% in Education.  

Technikon SA has 250 examination centres countrywide. In 1996, the Technikon awarded 3 453 diplomas/degrees. Of these, 2 657 were diplomas, 656 were Undergraduate Certificates, 139 were Higher Diplomas, and 1 was a Master’s Degree.  lthough more recent throughput figures were not available from the institution, the following representative examples give an indIcation of throughput rates of students enrolled in 1988 (it should be noted that some students register in order to gain individual subject credits with no intention of completing the diploma at TSA):

 

	PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION			POLICE ADMINISTRATION
	Enrolled     (1988)	Passed   by 1993	%   Passed	Enrolled     (1988)	Passed   by 1993	%    Passed
White	224	33	14.7%	3968	730	18.4%
African	210	19	9%	708	75	10.6%
Coloured	30	5	16.7%	329	49	14.9%
Indian	27	7	26%	340	75	22.1%
TOTAL	491	64	13%	5345	929	17.4%

 

 Technical College of South Africa (TECHISA)[11]   

The Technical College of South Africa (Technisa) is a technical college for distance education, striving to provide for the changing distance education needs regarding technical and vocational education, in line with the Reconstruction and Development Programme. Courses are offered in a variety of learning areas, such as engineering, business, and social fields of learning. These courses range from Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) to N6, also including studies for the National Intermediate Certificate (standard 9) and the National Senior Certificate (standard 10). Technisa has introduced a community education programme in support of their formal vocational programmes. In keeping with the principle of lifelong learning, access to Technisa is open in that prior learning and experience are recognized (RPL). The college liaises closely with Commerce and Industry and can therefore deliver candidates who are ready to enter the job market or be self-employed. Technisa was founded in 1984 and presently falls under the Gauteng Department of Education. 

The relationship between the technical colleges and their administering department of state is closer and more direct than it is with universities and technikons, with the result that Technisa does not have the autonomy of institutions such as UNISA and Technikon SA. It does, however, have a board of governance and its principal is a member of the Committee of Technical College Principals, which considers matters of common interest in technical education. There are 8 650 students registered at Technisa in the academic year of 1995/6. The percentages of various groupings for these enrolments are as follows:

 

	White	African	Coloured	Indian	No Race Stated
Number	1918	858	123	119	5 632
Percentage	22.17	9.92	1.42	1.38	65.11

 

	White	African	Coloured	Indian	No Race      Stated	TOTAL
Male	19.13%	7.75%	1.29%	1.27%	54.09%	83.54%
Female	3.04%	2.17%	0.13%	0.1%	11.02%	16.46%

 

In 1996, the enrolled students are geographically distributed as follows: 38.36% from Gauteng; 9.16% from Northern Province; 3.43% from the Eastern Cape; 14.36% from Kwazulu/Natal; 16.05% from Mpumalanga; 2.9% from the Free State; 8.45% from Western Cape; 0.24% from the rest of Africa; and 0.01% from the rest of the world. 

Technisa follows an affirmative action policy which is seriously hampered by a moratorium on posts. At present, out of 42 academic staff, 36 are white, and out of 40 administrative staff, 23 are white. Technisa is, at present, awaiting the appointment of a senior deputy principal, who will be a black male.  Tuition at Technisa is offered in a student-friendly manner and study material is available in Afrikaans and English. Courses are made up primarily of printed material, but in some subjects students are requested to record answers to specific questions on cassette and return the cassette to the lecturer for evaluation purposes. Seminars, vacation schools, and practical sessions are run as part of certain courses.  In a further attempt to support students, the college’s first learning centre has been functioning since September 1996 at the main campus in Randburg. Technisa already has satellites in Pretoria and Rondebosch, Cape Town. It also liaises with other technical colleges and centres in the country for the provision of ongoing student support. Technisa has established working ties with Technikon SA and is also collaborating with overseas institutions in Australia, England, Scotland, USA, and Canada. 

The following table shows the subject enrolment of students in 1996 (throughput figures were not available for Technisa because technical college examinations are administered by a central body lacking a system for retrieving the throughput figures of its students):

 

	SECONDARY LEVEL			TERTIARY LEVEL
	N1   + NIC	N2	N3   + NSC	N4	N5	N6
Number	6154	2646	4725	3186	1127	785
Percentage	33	14.2	25.4	17.1	6	4.2

 

In addition to this, Technisa runs bridging programmes, designed to upgrade people wishing to study but lacking the necessary qualifications. The College also runs a range of non-formal courses (for example, evening computer literacy classes). Finally, Technisa has satellite centres located within specific industries, which are designed to service those industries through the provision of skills training.    

 Vista University 

Vista University was enacted in 1981 under the Department of Education and Training as a result of the report of a commission of inquiry appointed ‘to investigate the university needs and requirements of urban Africans in the Republic of South Africa’[12]. It began its first academic year in 1983 and describes itself as ‘an open, autonomous university [which] was established with the purpose of providing univer­sity facil­ities for people living in the major urban areas of the Republic of South Africa’[13]. Like UNISA and Technikon SA, Vista is an autonomous institution under its own statute and governed by its own council. Its academic head participates in the CUP in considering policy initiatives and other matters of common interest. Similarly, Vista is also linked to the government through the AUT.  

The University operates through seven decentralized contact tuition campuses at Mamelodi, Bloemfontein, Sebokeng, Soweto, Port Elizabeth, the East Rand, and Welkom. Each campus has faculties of Education, Arts, and Economic and Management Sciences. The Soweto and Port Elizabeth campuses also have Law and Science faculties. Through these campuses, the University offers a variety of degrees and diplomas. Between them, these campuses had 19 341 registered students in 1996, registered for degree, diploma, and certificate programmes. In addition, however, the University has the Vista University Distance Education Campus (VUDEC) located in Pretoria. The Campus has recently changed its name from Further Training Campus in recognition of its intention to transform from a correspondence institution to a distance education institution and because it is broadening its provision to include degree programmes. VUDEC focuses solely on the upgrading of underqualified teachers through distance education, offering eight education diplomas and certificates. There were 12 481 students registered at the Campus in 1996, 99.813% of whom were African students, 0.031% were white, 0.125% were coloured, and 0.031% were Asian. 73.655% of these students were female and 26.345% were male.  

In 1996, the seven contact campuses and VUDEC together had a total of 1689 staff members (with 52.6% male and 47.4% female). There were 723 academic staff, 336 professional staff, 429 administrative staff, and 138 service workers.  

Vista has 86 examination centres. It provides contact students from the seven campuses with seven libraries, TEFSA and other loans and bursaries, laboratory facilities for students enrolled in Natural Sciences and Education, computer facilities, student counselling services, and strategically designed campuses. From the University’s inception, students registered at VUDEC have not had access to any of the aforementioned facilities. 

Courses at VUDEC are offered in English. The main medium of communication is through printed materials, all produced and printed by the University. There are, however, pilot projects currently being undertaken to test the viability of using other media (particularly audio cassettes) for tuition purposes. On the basis of these pilot projects, the University will decide whether or not to extend the use of media materials beyond printed materials in the future.  Seven groups of lecturers from VUDEC are working with SAIDE on a Quality Assurance process. Some progress which Vista has made in 1996 includes:

•     evaluation of questionnaires of learners’ needs;

•     reintroduction of vacation schools (terminated in 1990 for financial reasons) which were held in Northern Province, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State, North West, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal;

•     a learning support system for which funds have been approved to enable Vista to completeconfirmation and identification of the learners support system for the VUDEC;

•     the Campus Director, has sent out a letter to the MECs stating VUDEC’s requirements and asking for their cooperation in this matter.

With the exception of the department of Home Economics, no teaching department has offered practical sessions on a regular basis. In 1996, the Campus awarded a total of 1 303 certificates and 3 739 diplomas. The following figures give some indication of the throughput rates of the Campus:

 

SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE STD 6-8 (SEC 6-8) AND SECONDARY EDUCATION DIPLOMA STD 9-10 (SED 9-10)
	Enrolled	Completed Sec 6-8 by 1995		Completed Sed 9-10 by 1995
1986	4430+1586	2293	52%	680	42%
1987	5924+847	2854	48%	320	37%

 

 Private distance education colleges 

The private distance education colleges are those colleges registered with the Correspondence College Council. There are 64 colleges registered with the Council, one (INTEC) of which has been in existence since 1906. Some of the colleges (for example, the Damelin Education Group, Omnitec Institute and the Institute of Personnel Management) are not solely involved in distance education, but offer face to face courses in addition to distance learning courses. A defining characteristic of all of these colleges, however, is that they are financed privately. In general, the courses offered by these colleges are purely correspondence courses consisting of printed materials only. Some of the course materials, however, also include materials of different media (for example, audio cassettes, video cassettes, CD ROM, the Internet, CBT, and multimedia). In addition, some of the colleges (such as the Rapid Results College and INTEC College) are developing student support centres where students can gain access to college tutors and lecturers. This is increasingly supplemented by revision and other kinds of face to face classroom work in most of the colleges. 

There are three main types of courses available through the private distance education colleges:  

•             Secondary school courses - these courses are, in general, aimed at adults who were unable to finish their secondary school careers through the formal education system, but are also available to people of school-going age unable or unwilling to attend a contact secondary school. Courses are available from standard four level through to matric and lead to the acquisition of a senior certificate. 

•             Vocational/professional courses - these courses are designed specifically to enhance the employability of students. A wide variety of technical and non-technical courses are available, on subjects ranging from motor mechanics and electronics to personnel management and banking. Many colleges have entered into a relationship with professional institutes in South Africa (for example, the Institute of Administration and Commerce of Southern Africa and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), whereby the colleges offer courses in the various professional fields and the institutes function as the examining bodies for these courses. The Institute of Personnel Management is an exception to this norm, because it is a professional institute which, in addition to functioning as an examining body, also provides a distance education course that leads to examinations for its diploma in personnel management. 

•             Non-vocational/hobby courses - several colleges also offer courses which improve skills in particular subjects. Examples of these include courses on creative writing, languages, dressmaking, interior design, and calligraphy. 

The colleges vary greatly in scope and size. There are five main colleges; Damelin Correspondence College, INTEC College, Lyceum College, the Rapid Results College, and Sukses Correspondence College (Lyceum and Sukses are both owned by Nasionale Kolleges). These colleges offer many courses in all of the above fields. Over the past few years, Allenby In-home Study, a division of the Midrand Campus Group, has also become one of the larger and faster growing private educational institutions in South Africa. It offers a wide range of courses with inter-faculty credit transfers. The courses are conducted under the auspices of their Centre for Degree Studies and Centre for Diploma Studies.  

The smaller correspondence colleges tend to specialize in particular fields of interest; the College of Public Administration of Southern Africa, for example, offers courses only in the field of public administration, while the School of Modern Photography offers a single course in photography. Some of the smaller colleges do, however, offer courses in a range of fields; the Home Study Skills College of Southern Africa, for example, offers courses in subjects as diverse as horticulture, hotel and catering studies, and management and administration.

In 1992, 28.7% of private distance education college enrolments were enrolled in Secondary Education, 57.38% were doing professional qualifications, and 14.24% were enrolled in vocational and self-development courses[14] (more recent statistics were not available at time of printing).  

1996 ENROLMENTS IN DAMELIN, INTEC, LYCEUM,

          RAPID RESULTS, AND SUKSES

 

	African	White	Indian	Coloured	TOTAL	Degrees/Diplomas awarded in 1995
Damelin	25 476	14 249	2 592	864	42 180	awarded externally
Intec	38 028	28 456	6 226	14 230	88 940	14 409
Lyceum	-	-	-	-	12 815	2 158
Rapid Results	57 303	10 444	8 355	2 045	68 147	3 128
Sukses	-	-	-	-	16 830	21

  

PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN FIELDS OF STUDY IN 1996

 

	Humanities	Social Science	Education	Law	Language	Business	Science and Technology
Damelin	55%	-	-	-	-	45%	-
Intec	6%	4%	-	-	12%	36%	42%
Lyceum	-	17%	30%	-	-	53%	-
Rapid Results	16%	-	-	4%	16%	50%	14%
Sukses	-	-	52%	-	-	38%	10%
Total	15.4%	4.2%	16.4%	0.8%	5.6%	44.4%	13.2%

 

The private colleges are supervised by the Correspondence College Council, which was set up under the Correspondence College Act of 1965. That act governs private tuition, provides codes of conduct for private correspondence colleges, and regulates the Correspondence College Council. The Council consists of four elected members and two government-appointed members. It is the registering body for all private correspondence colleges in South Africa and is responsible for ensuring that these colleges abide by the Correspondence College Act. 

The main aim of the Council is to protect students by offering them recourse for problems which they might encounter at the colleges. It acts on written complaints which are then taken up with the relevant colleges. The Council also undertakes random inspections of colleges (usually inspecting six to eight colleges per year) to check whether the requirements of the Act are being adequately fulfilled and to investigate the quality of course materials and content.  These inspections are usually conducted by local experts but, when necessary and feasible, international experts are used.  The Council also registers new colleges. Colleges are accepted or turned down on the basis of an evaluation of their prospective courses conducted by an impartial party hired by the Council. The Council has the power to set up tribunals for existing colleges and, if necessary, to deregister them. It is a criminal offence to function as a private correspondence college without registering with the Council.  

The Council funds its own operations through an annual subscription fee of R400 per year. It administers a separate fidelity fund from which students may be compensated if a college collapses (although often, when a small college collapses, students are absorbed by larger colleges). This fund also pays for the inspection of colleges. 

The Correspondence College Act of 1965 came about as the result of a private Bill promoted by the Association of Distance Education Colleges of South Africa (ADEC). ADEC, which was founded in 1949, has as its mission ‘value and excellence in distance education’ and, as its objective, the advancement of distance education in South Africa. Towards that end, the Association promoted the Bill and the Act was designed to embody the standards and safeguards developed by the Association. ADEC presently has eleven full member colleges and three associate member institutions. Members must pledge themselves to the Association’s code of ethics, which is more demanding than the statutory requirements of the Act. The sector also participates in the Association of Private Colleges of South Africa (APCSA).  

 Teacher education 

Approximately 130 000 students (nearly one third of South Africa’s teachers) were enrolled in teacher education at a distance in 1995. Moreover, the sector is expanding rapidly, experiencing a 23% increase in new enrolments between 1994 and 1995. Most of this expansion has been concentrated in two providers: the College of Education of South Africa (with a 149% increase in new enrolments) and Success College (which registered 7403 students in its first year). During the same period, half the providers actually experienced a decline in the growth of new enrolments (two Pietermaritzburg-based colleges, Natal College of Education and Access College, registered over 100% increases in new enrolment, but from low bases). A number of institutions blamed the decline in their numbers on the expansion of low cost courses with high chances of success in some institutions. 

 

 Types of providers 

A number of very different types of providers exist in this sector. They range from very large State-funded colleges through to privately-funded institutions (including both for-profit and non-profit colleges and non-governmental organizations), universities, colleges and technikons. Institutions are mainly dedicated distance education institutions, but recently a number of contact institutions have begun providing distance education in a ‘dual-mode’ structure. There are:

•         seven publicly-funded and dedicated distance colleges of education;

•         three private, for-profit colleges, two of which are owned by the same shareholders;

•         one private non-profit college;

•         three publicly-funded universities (one is ‘dual-mode’ rather than a dedicated distance provider);

•         one publicly-funded technikon;

•         two ‘dual-mode’ colleges of education;

•         one small non-governmental organization.

 Expansion of private teaching colleges 

The training of teachers by ‘for‑profit’ colleges is a relatively new phenomenon in South Africa, but one that is growing rapidly. In 1995, Lyceum College had 16 263 students (making it the third largest provider), Success enrolled 7 403 students in its first year of teacher education provision, and the small Access College registered a 108% increase in new enrolments between 1994 and 1995. Although there appears to be no charge to the State because the colleges run on a cost‑recovery basis, but there are hidden costs such as provincial governments having to pay these teachers higher salaries, although there is not necessarily an improvement in the quality of their teaching. The teachers produced are generally in areas of low national priority and, in one case, predicting a 100% pass rate. This suggests a need for more robust quality assurance and accreditation systems in teacher education. In some cases, university staff also use work time to do private work for colleges, for which they are paid.   

 Types of students 

Registered students are overwhelmingly studying while in-service, and mainly studying to upgrade from M + 2 (Certificate level) to M + 3 (Diploma level). Thus, the majority of students are enrolled in programmes which would normally be considered to be ‘initial’ qualifications (that is, qualifications which teachers would normally be expected to have completed prior to becoming practising teachers). 

Figures would suggest that saturation point has been reached at levels lower than M + 3. Most students are studying towards a primary school teacher qualification. This sector has also experienced substantial growth while secondary teacher training has experienced a fall-off in registrations. The biggest increase in new enrolments (71%) has been among qualified teachers studying to upgrade to M+ 4 or M + 5 levels.

The facts and figures show that there are:

•         12 614 pre-service students (students who are not practising teachers); and

•         117 000 in-service students (students who are practising teachers);

•         63 015 teachers upgrading from ‘below-the line’ 

                  (that is, attempting to obtain an M + 2 or      M + 3 qualification);

•         32878 teachers are upgrading ‘above-the-line’ (to M + 4 and M + 5 qualifications).     

The majority of students are female (70%), African (86%), and less than 35 years old (57%). In addition, most students come from the Gauteng province (22%), Kwazulu-Natal (21%), and the Northern Province (19%). The charts on the following pages provide specific breakdowns.This type of upgrading has experienced a 71% increase between 1994 and 1995. 

As would be expected, the bigger colleges of education have many students enrolled who live outside the province in which the college is physically located, but the finances of these Colleges is managed by the provincial government structures. Thus, 72% of public college of education students are enrolled in colleges located in Gauteng and 15% incolleges in Kwazulu-Natal. Across all types of institution, 90% of all students are enrolled in institutions whose central campus is located in Gauteng. 

Pre-service and In-service Students

Breakdown of teacher education students by gender, race, age, and province

                                                

 

   

 

 Gauteng Youth College 

The Gauteng Youth College is a new education centre initiated in 1994 by the Gauteng Education Department for young people who want to complete Standard 10. It has four satellite schools in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Alberton, and Vanderbijlpark. Any student, of any age, in Gauteng who attempted Standard 10 between 1991 and 1994, and failed, is eligible to register with the College. There are approximately 1 700 students registered in 1996.  

 Residential Universities and Technikons 

Several of the universities and technikons traditionally regarded as ‘residential’ have started to offer, or are planning to offer, tuition through distance or mixed mode education. As a result, there are many initiatives at various institutions, which are often very different in character. These include the following[15]: 

The Public Health Programme at the University of the Western Cape

The Public Health Programme strives to be a centre of excellent for Public Health Education, Service Development and Research by providing leadership to address priority health needs, particularly for people living in disadvantaged communities. A distance learning programme on primary health care and public health issues is currently being developed in order to reach a significantly larger pool of health professionals. 

The Eastern Seaboard Association of Tertiary Institutions (ESATI)

The Eastern Seaboard Association of Tertiary Institutions (ESATI) was initiated in late 1992 by the Universities of Durban-Westville, Natal, and Zululand. These institutions recognized that restructuring was needed to problems such as fragmentation, racial and gender inequalities, inequitable resource allocations, and duplication of services. The universities have committed themselves to identifying areas of possible cooperation, negotiating in good faith around these areas, and acting promptly on all decisions agreed upon jointly and have also committed themselves to distance education as one of the five key strategic areas which they will work on. 

University of Natal

The University of Natal has under taken to phase in a mixed mode approach from 1997 that will offer flexible entry and exit points for both undergraduate and post graduate students through the Open Learning Initiative. Courses offered would not be entirely materials-based, but would include short periods on campus, interaction with lecturers, as well as opportunities for structured tutorial interaction at learning centres. This mode of delivery is seen to be appropriate for students both on and off campus. The programmes will be based on a credit point system and will enable multiple entry and exit points in line with the National Qualifications Frameworks. 

The Open Learning Initiative provides a framework through which the University will seek to meet the increasing demand both from school leavers people already in work-place who cannot undertake full-time study for three consecutive years. In particular, the University will seek, through the Initiative, to contribute to the provision of human resources to address development strategies in KwaZulu Natal. 

Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA)[16]

The Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA) offers two postgraduate courses through distance education. The first is a Master of Medicine in Family Medicine and the second is a postgraduate course in Veterinary Science. Both courses are designed for qualified doctors and last three years. The course is made up of printed materials and MEDUNSA also offers monthly face to face tutorials at the University. Attendance at tutorials would depend on the situations and workload of the students. There are 20 students enrolled in the Master of Medicine in Family Medicine and 30 enrolled in the Veterinary Science course. The courses are administered by permanent MEDUNSA staff members. 

Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE)

The PU for CHE is involved in various distance education programmes at both the main campus at Potchefstroom and the Vaal campus near Vereeniging. At the main campus an undergraduate programme in business administration (BBA) was launched in 1996 in collaboration with the Africa Growth Network (AGN) and the Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, USA.  Three hundred and five students (215 male and 90 female) enrolled for this undergraduate course.  A post graduate MBA is to be launched along similar lines during 1997.  Another form of distance education programme is the so-called two year Bachelor of Education programme which is better known as a “vocational model”.  The programme consists of four three-day sessions presented at the University during school vacations.  This limited face to face contact sessions are supplemented by detailed study guides, tuition material and, for some subjects, audio cassettes.  There are approximately 67 students who enrolled for this programme during 1996. 

Currently there are 1775 students registered for courses at the Vaal campus, with 813 in the Arts Faculty, 587 in Commerce, 196 in Education and 179 in Natural Sciences. Approximately 70% of students are part-time (the majority being African students) and 30% are full-time (most being white students).  There are 57 academic staff members at the Vaal campus of which the majority are white and male staff (11 female and two African staff). 

Rand Afrikaans University (RAU)

In addition to the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU)’s College of Education (mentioned in the section on teacher education), their engineering faculty is working on the development of a distance education programme. The faculty describes this as ‘education with limited contact’ rather than distance education, because there is a need to include contact components which will incorporate practical laboratory sessions. The intention at present is to run these practical components in two-week periods during University vacations. This will allow students to make use of RAU’s residential facilities (the Faculty acknowledges that students may, nevertheless, still experience problems in attending such sessions). Similarly, the economics department is considering instituting distance education courses in its department. 

 

Technikon Mangosuthu

Technikon Mangosuthu does not currently offer any courses through distance education. It is, however, investigating the possibility of initiating distance education courses, particularly in the field of Medical Technology.

 

University of Cape Town (UCT)

The University of Cape Town (UCT)’s School of Education have made some tentative moves towards offering courses at a distance. Discussions are underway to mount an Further Diploma in Education or PG Diploma for teacher educators through distance education. 

The Primary Education Project (PREP) at the University has, however, in addition to the Language and Learning course which is central to their curriculum, developed three new courses: Mathematics (Junior Primary); Education (Junior Primary); and Junior Primary Studies. Each of the courses requires teachers to complete activities and assignments which encourage them to reflect on their practice, to try out different approaches, to critique teaching style and approaches presented to them on video, to present lessons to facilitators for comment, and to listen to other teachers debating and discussing classroom issues on audio. The study guides use an interactive style and emphasize conceptual (rather than factual) understanding. The four courses are being tested in two pilot studies in 1995/6 through Vista University, Pretoria, and Natal College of Education (Pietermaritzburg). Piloted courses will be reworked and published and made available for general institutional use. 

University of the Orange Free State

The University of the Orange Free State is involved in various distance education programmes, most of which are connected to Kimberley and Welkom. These programmes are referred to by the University as ‘semi-distance’ teaching programmes or ‘special residential education’. Within this model, students spend considerably less time attending lectures and are given self-study learning modules to compensate for this decreased contact time. There are 122 students enrolled at the Kimberley campus (37 African, 22 white, and 63 coloured). 41 lecturers, all white,  are involved in the programmes, offering classes on a rotation basis. The following programmes are offered in this way: Bachelor of Education, Higher Education Diploma Bachelor of Arts, and several Occasional Courses run by individual departments  

The University of the Free State has also started with an Open Learning Distance Education Access Programme (OLDEAP) which will commence in totality during January 1997. This Programme was developed to provide students with an opportunity to pursue post-secondary studies without attending full-time classes at a residential institution. Initial subjects for the Programme are Mathematics, English, Sociology, and a Foundation Course in Life-long Learning. 

University of Pretoria

The University of Pretoria is involved in distance education provision through three initiatives:

•             Satellite Campuses - the idea behind the satellite campuses is to bring educational opportunities closer in reach of communities and to provide a combination of distance education and face to face tuition. Thus, students attend a reduced number of lectures or arrange their studies through a block system of contact and non-contact teaching and learning opportunities. There are currently two campuses in operation, Hammanskraal Campus and Witbank Campus 

•             Teleteaching Project - the original aim of the University’s interactive teleteaching project was to find a cost-effective way of getting educationally involved in its surrounding communities. Microwave technology is currently employed to transmit a television signal to viewers. Telephone lines are used to relay voice from viewers back to the presenter in the studio. In the schools project, 22 schools are linked to the system. In addition to daily broadcasts to these schools from 14:00 - 16:00, Mondays to Thursdays, various Summer, Winter, and Spring schools are presented to especially help prepare matriculants for their final exams. Teachers benefit too through viewing and separate discussions of recorded lesson contents with them. Programme contents mainly focus on mathematics, physics, chemistry, accountancy, biology, and a number of life-skills courses. Depending on the daily programme schedule, approximately 500 - 700 students view programmes daily and participate in discussions. After-hours transmission of lectures to students at the University’s Witbank campus is now common practice. The University has acquired its own satellite channel to expand its broadcasts to students nations-wide, as from 1997. Video conferencing facilities for world-wide interactive communication with students will be operational in 1996. 

•             National Colleges Project - the University of Pretoria and National Colleges embarked on a joint agreement in 1993 with a view to offering prospective and other students a wide range of University-accredited courses, through National Colleges’ constituent Colleges, namely Lyceum, Success, and Mentor Business and Computer School. Certificates and Diplomas studies range from career studies to academic diplomas consisting of University-accredited subjects. A variety of Management Diplomas consisting of both career and University-accredited subjects are also offered.

University of the Witwatersrand

The University of the Witwatersrand is involved in initiatives which include forms of distance education: 

•             In 1994, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Public Development Management, and the Management for Schools Training Programme (MSTP) entered into a partnership to run a Further Diploma in Education Development Management and Administration. This part-time, 2 year programme is designed to meet the challenges facing practising educational leaders in their schools. Approximately 170 students are currently registered in their first year, and 130 in their second year. Students work on distance education course materials at their schools, and attend short residential sessions at Wits during the school vacations.

•             In 1996, the Faculty of Education embarked on another programme of Further Diplomas in Education in Mathematics, Science, and English Language Teaching designed to address the needs of practising teachers of these subjects. The programme aims to improve the learning and teaching in schools by extending teachers’ educational, subject, and subject teaching knowledge and skills. As above, students work on distance education course materials at their schools, and attend short residential sessions at Wits during the school vacations. 140 African students are currently registered in their first year of study across the three subjects.

•             Since 1993, the Faculty’s Department of Adult Education has offered its Higher Diploma for Educators of Adults on a semi-distance education basis, involving part-time study and block-release, the provision of learning materials, off campus study groups and field supervision. The Department now offers its Master’s degree in Adult Education on a similar format. Distance Education as a special field of study is likely to be included in course options.

•             The Centre for Continuing Education is involved in the development of distance education approaches in several of its research, development, and delivery projects, such as Rural Education Facilitators Project, the Kathorus Community Support Educators Project, the Teachers English Language Improvement Programme, and in the flexible delivery of its Adult Educator Programme. The Centre has also carried out major action research work in the use of Radio Forums in nonformal community based education.

•            Wits Television produces educational programmes for University departments, private organizations, and the broadcast media. These television productions have been used in a variety of settings and ways, some of which embrace distance education procedures.

• ·           The Centre for Research and Development in Mathe­matics, Science, and Technology Education (RADMASTE) is a research and development initiative in mathematics, science and technology education located in the University’s Science Faculty. It aims to assist the development of teachers and teacher educators. One of its projects is the MAESTRO Programme. Th­is aims to provide self-study learning materials in physi­cal science from standards six to ten to act as resources for teachers. The materials are contained in approxi­mately seventy-five units consisting of slides, audio-cassettes, and workbooks (on topics such as elec­tricity, thermal physics, chemical reactions and organic chemistry).

 

 Corporate distance education providers 

Various companies and corporations are considering the use of distance education techniques as a means of providing in-service training to employees. The following are examples of corporate distance education provision already taking place[17]: 

ABSA Bank Training Centre

ABSA started AGN (Africa Growth Network) using satellite and television technology. AGN is now a subsidiary of ABSA. This network is not only available to ABSA but to any company or individual. Although ABSA makes use of the network for ABSA specific programmes and enrols students on generic programmes, AGN’s other clients have the same options. A company can either enrol staff for the generic programmes or can have specific programmes broadcast (in-house). AGN currently broadcasts on two channels. Some of the programmes are now even available on Multichoice DSTV to watch from your own house. 

ABSA has 9 400 students enrolled in 1996 and 29% are African, 65% are white, 3% are coloured, and 3% are Asian. 61% are female, and 39% are male. There are 4 Training Departments and eight Training Centres, 1 500 study centres (including viewing points), and eight examination centres. 

AGN PowerMatric

AGN, sponsored by SANLAM, runs a PowerMatric course through which students can obtain a matriculation certificate by watching teachers on television, working in workbooks, and listening to tapes. Over two years, students can obtain a Matric Certificate through the Independent Examination Board (IEB). Television programmes are offered outside normal working hours (so that employed students may enrol at PowerMatric) and AGN has learning points all over South Africa.

First National Bank Staff College

The main aim of this College is to provide training in banking to First National Bank personnel. There are two centres, one in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, (which primarily provides non-managerial training) and another in Sandown (which provides managerial training). These centres offer contact training to staff members. In addition, the College offers some training through distance education or ‘distributed training’. This entails the provision of self-study modules to staff members. The College has developed approximately 100 different modules which are used in the in-service training of staff members. Most of the self-study modules cover non-managerial topics, although some deal with managerial subjects. The modules are made up of printed study books and videos, and most have testing and evaluation built into them. A certificate of competence is issued to staff members when they have successfully completed a module. 

 

 Non-governmental orginizations 

South African Committee for Higher Education (SACHED Trust)[18]

The South African Committee for Higher Education (SACHED Trust) was started in 1959. The organization is engaged in a wide range of educational activities. It has been involved in distance education through two main programmes: 

•             Turret Correspondence College - this College was established in 1970 and offers a secondary level correspondence course and support for registered learners. 

•             Distance University Student Support Project (DUSSPRO) - this programme was set up in 1959 to offer support to students enrolled with London University. In 1971, the programme began supporting UNISA students. By 1992, 2 057 students received support from DUSSPRO in centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown, and Pretoria. UNISA has now taken over the activities of DUSSPRO. 

The SACHED Trust is currently in the process of developing two initiatives on the basis of its experiences with Turret Correspondence College and DUSSPRO. These are: 

•             An Alternative Secondary Curriculum for Adults (ASECA) - the ASECA programme involves the creation of a new curricu­lum and the development of a secondary level distance education pro­gramme for adults. The programme offers distance education courses from standards five to ten in four subjects; communication in English, mathematics, integrated science, and integrated social studies. The SACHED Trust is engaged in the develop­ment of materials for the courses, including printed materials, diagnostic tests, and audio cassettes.  

•             Training Distance Educators and Administrators Programme - this programme was set up to provide training for educators and administrators for the ASECA programme. For further information on the programme, refer to section twelve, on professional development in techniques of distance education, below.

 Theological Education by Extension College (TEEC) 

The Theological Education by Extension College (TEEC) was started in 1976 and is based on an experiment started in the 1960s in Guatemala. Theological education by extension ‘is not merely education by correspondence. The extension method places a great emphasis on tutorials’[19]. Thus, courses consist of course handbooks and prescribed books, which form part of a self-directed study programme, and regular tutorials organized in various regions around the country by the TEEC and run by volunteer tutors. The College offers a range of theological courses, ranging from short quarter-year award courses to a full diploma course which takes an average of four to six years to complete and is accredited by the Joint Board for the Diploma in Theology (Southern Africa). The TEEC also offers a range of short courses which are designed for use by parish groups and do not require formal registration or lead to any accreditation. There are 1 255 students registered at the College in 1996, approximately 50% are African, 38% are white, 10% are coloured, and 2% are Asian. 70% are male. The work of the College is managed by 18 full-time staff and 38 part-time staff, all of whom are qualified in ministry teaching. They are assisted by the volunteer tutors around the country. The TEEC is funded entirely by the fees of its students.