Opening distant doors to learning

FALSE BAY TVET COLLEGE SPOKESPERSON MOST of us don’t have to travel far to work, shop, worship or play. And for basic education, there’s always a school nearby. But what if you need further training for your job or aspire to higher education and there isn’t an institution locally?

Distance is a barrier to learning for many people – people living in rural communities, someone looking after a dependant at home, someone whose movement is restricted by ill health, disability or even incarceration. Others cannot physically attend a learning institution because of the nature of their work, such as workers who work shifts, deep sea fishermen, emergency personnel, some members of the armed forces and many self-employed people.

In a developing country where most citizens face the effects of poverty, there are also many people who can neither afford the costs of commuting nor the cost of residence at the institution.

Thankfully, higher learning institutions offer a variety of distance learning programmes. False Bay TVET College, for example, offers affordable qualifications in Business, Public Management, Financial Management and Engineering Studies for qualifying learners.

If you are currently working in your chosen field or have two years’ relevant experience and Grade 12 (for National N diplomas), are at least 20 years old and able to write examinations and some tests on campus, distance learning may be an option for you. Daily access to a computer, the internet and email is essential, as learning materials and contact with lecturers will be accessed electronically, through the False Bay College Learning Management System.

There are also entry requirements specific to the course of study undertaken. Financial Management N4, for example, requires students to have passed Accounting in Grade 12.

While courses have an in-service training component, students who are employed in a related field benefit by having their current work count towards the in-service training requirement. Another great advantage is that the workload is manageable, as students only take on two or three subjects per semester.

Distance learning is strictly for mature learners who can exercise self-discipline, study on their own and manage their own pace of learning without daily supervision.

If you match this description, there’s probably a place at False Bay TVET College for you.

For more information on the part-time and distance learning programmes available at False Bay TVET College, visit our website at www.falsebaycollege.co.za