Open and Distance Education in Namibia: Students’ Perceptions and Quality Dimensions

Higher education institutions in Namibia are mandated by various acts of Parliament to provide higher education and to enhance further training and continuous education to Namibian citizens. This entails providing quality education through teaching, research and advisory services with a view to develop a competitive human resources base capable of driving public and private institutions towards economic growth and improved quality of life. Institutions such as the University of Namibia and the Polytechnic of Namibia established open and distance education centres to meet the educational needs of citizens who could not access the conventional learning routes. The research paper examined the institutions’ viability of fulfilling the higher education mandate of providing quality distance education to students. Following a qualitative approach, 20 distance education students under the Centre for External Studies (CES) at the University of Namibia, Zambezi region were purposively sampled to complete semi structured questionnaires and also to partake in focused group interviews. Reference to documentary evidence was also undertaken to validate findings on the quality of distance education provision. Despite the increased number of distance learners, evidence suggests that there is poor resource allocation and little attention given to distance learners’ engagement compared to conventional fulltime learners.