By Olimatou Coker
The Gambia College and partners Friday ended a 5-day consultative engagement on Open Distance Learning (ODL) policy and strategic development.
The engagement hosted at the Gambia College was funded by the Commonwealth of Learning.
Last month, the ministry of higher education in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning (CoL) validated the National Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Policy for The Gambia following a three-day high-level meeting on its development and validation at NAQAA Conference Hall.
The policy is designed to provide the operational instrument that will guide the management and coordination of ODL programmes and activities in The Gambia. It will further serve as reference material for those interested in participating in the delivery of ODL as practitioners, learners, policy makers or regulators.
Speaking at the closing, Madam Isatou Ndow, vice principal, Gambia College said has accorded stakeholders the opportunity to review the document and brainstorm on how to make it better. She said open distance learning is a crucial model that the college intends to embrace to make education more accessible and affordable.
Anthony Mendy, director of tertiary and higher education at MoHERST, expressed his ministry’s delight and unflinching support to the project.
“We are happy to be associated with such a laudable initiate and I want to assure you of my ministry’s strong commitment to ensuring the successful implementation of the policy,” he said.
He commended the Gambia college for taking the initiative to champion the policy.
“We hope that it will be the university of education in the future,” he said.
Ababucarr Jallow, the principal of Gambia College, thanked the Commonwealth of Learning funding the review.
