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We, the undersigned Ministers of Education:
Having received and reviewed two project proposals from The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) for:
(1) the in-service training of teachers at the upper primary and lower junior secondary schools in mathematics, science and technology, using distance education as the mode of delivery on a collaborative basis; and
(2) increasing access to senior secondary school level education, giving attention to gender and the marginalised groups, through the production of quality learning materials;
And recognising that the effective implementation of these projects will greatly benefit the educational development of all our peoples, taking full account of equity and disadvantage;
Agree that:
(a) our six countries work together, by sharing resources, experience and expertise in order to meet these educational needs in a cost effective manner, with COL as the co-ordinating agency to implement these projects;
(b) we support COL's commitment to undertake the necessary co-ordination and quality control, to provide or secure access to the necessary external expertise, and to secure external funding for the projects and to facilitate networking;
(c) we will have regular consultation in the process of developing and implementing the projects;
(d) we participate in the projects for an initial period of five years by making available, within each of our individual country's capacities, the resources necessary to create and develop the potential they offer, focusing in particular on:
new learning materials for in-service teacher training through distance education, as well as new mechanisms to deliver, support, and assess teacher training and appropriate accreditation arrangements for the learners who participate in the project; and
the development of modular distance learning materials covering the senior secondary level curriculum as well as the establishment and/or strengthening of learning centres/distance institutions for purposes of validating the materials.
Signed on January 29, 1998 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The Hon. Dr. G.K.T. Chiepe, Minister of Education, Botswana
The Hon. Brown Mpinganjira, Minister of Education, Malawi
(for) The Hon. John Mutorwa, Minister of Basic Education and Culture, Namibia
The Hon. Sibusiso M.E. Bengu, Minister of Education, South Africa
The Hon. Alhaji Professor Juma Kapuya, Minister of Education and Culture, Tanzania
(for) The Hon. G.M. Machinga, Minister of Education, Sport and Culture, Zimbabwe
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