The Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS) is pushing for a legal backing to be able to effectively carry out its mandate.
CENDLOS previously known as the President’s Special Initiative on Distance Learning (PSI-DL) was established in 2002.
It was tasked to regulate, control and advise on online education and open schooling.
Speaking to Citi News, the Executive Director of the centre, Nana Gyamfi Adwabour, outlined the prospects should they get legal backing.
“Without the legal backing, we will face some problems and challenges in the area of policy. If you check countries like Canada and New Zealand, they have a national policy for online education. We will need that here to be able to expatiate on the agenda of the president and the Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Adutwum,” he said.
In the absence of legal backing, Mr. Adwabour said his outfit will be limited in its responsibilities.
In the meantime, he said, CENDLOS is currently regulating and monitoring certain aspects of online learning in Ghana but reiterated that a requisite law will help entrench the role of his outfit.
Mr. Adwabour made the remark on the sidelines of a recent stakeholder engagement forum.
The event was on the theme: Promoting distance learning and open schooling in Ghana. The role of CENDLOS and the necessity of a parliamentary Act.
CENDLOS, among other things, is responsible for the following:
- Advise on, support and coordinate Open, Distance eLearning (ODeL) activities in partnership with the public and private sectors;
- Harmonize and regulate ODeL in Ghana;
- Package education and training for delivery through ODeL using ICT tools;
- Support, coordinate and offer advice on ODeL activities;
- Contribute to the establishment and operation of Open (Virtual) School & Open University Systems of education in Ghana;
- Provide training in ODeL delivery and assist other institutions to adopt dual-mode delivery