Programmes and Material Development Deputy Director, Jan Nitschke said besides radio and television, the Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) has an online platform for learners.
Nitschke said NAMCOL’s radio programmes, that have been existing for years, came in handy now during this pandemic.
The institution had issues with meeting deadlines for submission of assignments due to the pandemic. Notes can be accessed on their website can be used during this time by all teachers, learners and parents. He said there are challenges to developing programmes and learning materials for pre-vocational subjects and some indigenous languages. He called on teachers who would like to assist in developing these materials to contact NAMCOL immediately. NAMCOL has also made provision for Brail or sign language interpretations for students with special needs in all regions when such needs are identified.
Furthermore, Deputy Director of Information Technology in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, Johan van Wyk emphasised that e-learning is not new since they already introduced it in 2010. He said E-learning development is crucial. The ministry has partnered with various stakeholders to offer education through radio and television programmes. He said there are also e-learning materials that can be accessed from home. The Ministry received Microsoft packages for free to be used during the pandemic. However, these programmes were designed to be accessed from school.
Learners at home will not be able to access with their devices. Van Wyk said there are provisions in place for learners to get materials in flash disks to be able to learn from home. The officials were speaking at the COVID-19 Communication Centre this morning.
