Don calls for creation of policies to regulate DLE

Professor of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan, Prof. Francis Egbokhare, has called for the creation of a policy that would regulate the operations and practices of Distance Learning Education (DLE) in the country.

Speaking on the theme, “Responsibilities of Stakeholders in Promoting Open Distance Education,” at the maiden seminar series of the Distance Learning Institute (DLI), Department of Education Science, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Egbokhare, stated that practices in some distance learning institutes lack philosophical clarity.

He said there was no coherent philosophy in the practice of DLE in Nigeria presently, adding that the emerging practice was based on trial and error.

He said, “In a country like Nigeria, with the high incidence of poverty, limited English language proficiency, strong traditional culture, poor literacy levels, shortage of qualified personnel with technical skills as well as poor supporting technology infrastructure, it was necessary that the philosophy and modeling should be sensitive to these issues.

“Part-time programmes are established for money making purpose with little or no attention to quality. The programmes are basically run outside the National Universities Commission (NUC) guidelines and there is no standard or policy on which these programmes are to run, and where there is any, there is inconsistency.

He continued, “The population of part time students run in the multiples of regular students in some universities, where there is already severe shortage of staff and infrastructure. The typical student lacks the minimum entry requirement for admission. Lecturers divide their attention between these programmes and the full-time programmes because of additional remuneration. Because of the laxity associated with these programmes, all kinds of sharp practices are allowed to take place unchecked.”