| Education ministers from six Southern African Commonwealth countries have signed an agreement that will see their respective ministries working together in order to meet similar educational needs. Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe will be sharing resources, experience and expertise, while COL will be co-ordinating the implementation of the distance-education-based programmes in a cost-effective manner. Priorities include the in-service training of teachers in science, mathematics and technology subjects and increasing access to senior secondary level education through open schooling. A work plan was also developed. The agreement was signed last month in Vancouver at the conclusion of a consultation on regional collaboration that COL held with ministers and senior education officials from the six countries. Resource persons from development agencies and other international organisations joined COL in helping to facilitate the discussions and develop the proposals. The sessions were opened by the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, The Honourable Garde B. Gardom, Q.C. |