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their education and enter into various courses via the “back door” of learning from home or mature entry. Others opted for what was known as the “night school” back then.
It was no surprise then that even when the premier distance learning institution, the Zimbabwe Open University, was opened in 1993, it was typical to hear of people referring to it as “kumachembere” (place for the elderly).
There could have been a justification to this.
In 1993, the university was only offering one programme — the Bachelor of Education — for 652 students.
Your guess is right: it was a favourite for teachers aspiring to be headmasters!
Times have changed though.
Distance learning is quietly stealing the thunder.
As for ZOU itself, it has morphed from the old “machembere” for teachers to a vibrant institution.
Today ZOU has more than 30 degree programmes that are relevant to all socio-economic sectors of the country.
Zimbabwe has become a leader in open and distance learning in Southern Africa, with results to show for it.
“ZOU has graduated nearly 21 000 students in the last six years and our graduates are found in every sector of the economy,” prides ZOU on its website.
It explains: “ZOU’s mission is to empower people through lifelong learning thereby enabling them to realise their full potential in an affordable and flexible manner while executing their endeavours.
“In order to sufficiently cater for students throughout Zimbabwe, ZOU has a highly decentralised structure with 10 regional centres in all the provinces.”
ZOU is among various players in the open and distance learning in the country with all universities in the country offering the service.
Mutare, Belvedere and Hillside teachers’ colleges offer the Bachelor of Education programme through open and distance e-learning in Mathematics and Science.
The University of South Africa (Unisa) has over the years gained currency among Zimbabweans as many have pursued various academic interests with the institution.
Many people cite convenience, cost and flexibility as the main advantages of open and distance learning.
Economics is key.
For example, at ZOU, new undergraduate students have to part with US$500, and US$520 for returning students while at other universities the fees are anything between US$600 and US$800 across faculties.
Masters and doctoral degrees cost between US$700 and US$1 800.
“The advantage of open and distance learning in terms of the cost is that you can spread your payments and being employed you can pay for your education gradually,” one distance student told The Herald.
The benefits of distance learning are only set to increase as the country is on the threshold of adopting a new policy framework for the operation of open and distance learning.
Recently, academics drawn from Government, higher and tertiary education institutions and the private sector completed crafting the National Open and Distance Learning Policy.
The various stakeholders were in the resort town of Victoria Falls for a workshop on the ODL.
The policy, which is set to widen the scope of education in the country and is due to be presented to Cabinet next month, is tailored to elevate open and distance learning to the same status as the face-to-face mode of tutoring.
It also seeks to promote non-discriminatory access to education.
“This policy is the creation of a legacy in Zimbabwe’s education.
“It is critical not only for the provision of ODL but also for the formulation of governance issues and the establishment of a regulatory framework for this mode of education,” explained Dr Washington Mbizvo, Higher Education Secretary.
“Most countries in Southern Africa do not have official ODL policies. So, we should be proud that we now have this comprehensive document,” he said.
The blueprint is in line with calls by Sadc heads of state to increase access to education and training.
The policy is in line with the Sadc Protocol on Education and  Training which commits member states to human capital development through the provision of quality education.
The policy will go a long way in promoting socio-economic development, as it articulates the strategies for providing vast ODL services.
ODL is critical in reducing poverty and empowers people through entrepreneurship training.
It has also been cited as providing for the cross-cutting issues of gender, information communication technology and socio-economic development.
The policy focuses on the provision of ODL through four key areas.
These are technical and vocational education and training, teacher education training, primary and secondary education, and higher education.
All is not a piece of cake, though.
There have been concerns that some tertiary institutions were taking advantage of the ODL and Zimbabweans’ immense appetite for learning to produce substandard and sometimes fraudulent programmes.
The unscrupulous institutions are in for the big bucks that abound in the sector.
They have become “diploma mills”.
Quality is suffering and the standards in the country could take a knock in the long term.
The Government is not too happy.
Last year, Dr Mbizvo warned the errant institutions saying Government would shut down the academies.
He said then: “Today, there  are many private and public non-profit and for profit institutions worldwide offering distance learning education courses from the most basic instruction through to the highest level of degree and doctoral programme.
“Levels of accreditation vary: Some of the institutions receive little outside oversight, and some may be fraudulent diploma mills.
“We do not want to produce diploma mills, as we are particular about standards.
“If it is a degree, then let it be a proper degree.”
In 2010, for example, a medical degree programme offered by the National University of Science and Technology was suspended, as Government stemmed what was perceivably a drop in the standards.
Maintained Dr Mbizvo: “We are firm on quality assurance. Zimbabwe has a reputable name, indeed a deserving name in matters of higher and tertiary education . . . My business first and foremost is to ensure we safeguard these high standards of academia, scholarship and human capital development profile that we enjoy and that we shall leave for generations to come.”
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