BOU launches Open Schooling Portal
This Wednesday, Botswana Open University (BOU) launched an Open Schooling Portal, a collaborative effort between the institution and the Commonwealth of Learning.
Speaking during the virtual launch, BOU ViceChancellor (VC), Dr Daniel Tau, said over the years the two institutions have collaborated to make education and learning a basic right to commonwealth citizens.
He explained the two agencies’ core mandates both focus on opening up educational access and opportunities for hard-to-reach and less endowed people of the commonwealth region.
“Through various technological platforms and channels, many commonwealth citizens have thus benefitted from their joint services,” highlighted the BOU VC.
Emphasising the organisations’ fruitful relationship, Dr Tau revealed the Commonwealth of Learning first partnered with BOU in the late ’90s when the university was still known as Botswana College of Open Distance Learning (BOCODOL).
At the time, contemporary and open distance learning was just beginning to make inroads in Botswana.
“Collaboration scaled up with the advent of the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth in which BOCODOL, through its leadership, played a significant role,” said the VC.
He proudly noted BOU has continued with its leadership towards the institutionalisation of the Virtual University and its work.
“Several tertiary education programmes at BOU were born out of the collaborative work with the Virtual University,” he revealed, adding some continue to be enhanced in quality through the technical and financial support of the Commonwealth of Learning.
Dr Tau said open education resources have proven to be among the most costeffective means of democratising the value of education.
“They are ideal for use during this period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Open education resources also make the alignment between education development and
the tenets of the 4th Industrial Revolution easier to realise.”
In the context of Botswana, the VC said this goes a long way in demonstrating the commitment to digitise education development and delivery in line with the pursuit of Smart Botswana.
For her part, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Basic Education (MOBE), Bridget John, said any collaboration that enhances teaching and learning in Botswana is critical for the ministry.
“We welcome the delivery of digital innovation by BOU as it is in line with the government’s desire to promote digitisation and the drive towards the attainment of a knowledge-based economy by 2036,” declared John.