Report of the Commonwealth of Learning, Commonwealth Heads of Government, Auckland, New Zealand -
November 1995
1. In establishing the Commonwealth of Learning in Vancouver, Canada, in 1987, Commonwealth Heads of Government created an international agency with a unique mission and mandate. Their decision not only recognised the growing importance of all forms of learning within the overall process of social and economic development, but also anticipated the revolutionary potential of communications and information technologies for enhancing peoples' access to quality education and training. Since 1987, events have confirmed the transformative impacts of knowledge and information technology on societies, and the Commonwealth, through COL, has been able to take a leading role on the international stage in furthering the application of distance and open learning to meet the developmental needs of its member countries. However, despite its impressive achievements, its numerous commendations from governments and others, and the increasing need and demand for its services, COL faces a funding crisis which threatens its continued existence as an instrument for Commonwealth co-operation. It therefore seeks a strong reaffirmation of governments' dedication to the aims and activities of COL and a renewal of their financial commitments to the agency.
2. At Cyprus in 1993, Commonwealth Heads of Government congratulated COL on "the admirable progress made during the five years since COL was created", as confirmed by the Progress Review , and "noted . . . COL's increasing recognition internationally as a major source of expertise in distance education". The meeting furthermore called on governments to address the financial issues surrounding COL in light of the conclusions of the Progress Review and those of the associated studies of organisation and management and of governance. At the 12th Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers (CCEM) held in Islamabad, Pakistan on November 27 - December 1, 1994. Ministers formally "recorded their appreciation for COL's highly valued services", and resolved to take the necessary action to secure the necessary funding for COL's programmes during the quinquennium 1994-99. Twenty-six countries spoke in support of COL and pledged resources to continue its work. Some countries, including Britain, promised to increase their funding; others, such as Canada, reaffirmed their financial support for COL.
3. In Islamabad, the CCEM endorsed COL's Strategic Outlook, 1995-98, as a statement of the future strategic orientation of COL oriented toward four critical strategic goals or objectives:
- to promote the utilisation of communications and information technologies for the purpose of distance learning;
- to facilitate access to affordable, high quality learning materials and resources in support of formal and informal education;
- to provide access to training in the adoption and use of distance learning techniques and technologies; and
- to supply information and advice regarding distance learning systems, programmes and technologies.
Present Situation
4. In the six years since it began operation in 1989, COL has provided a very wide range of services in every major region and in virtually every Commonwealth country. As confirmed by the findings of the Progress Review, COL's work has had a significant impact, particularly in the developing parts of the Commonwealth. The impact has been felt most clearly in the area of educational provision, since the organisation has managed to demonstrate that the provision of education can be affected in a number of advantageous ways by the introduction of modern methodologies and technologies, thus enabling governments and institutions to increase
access
to education, while retaining
quality
of provision. These programmes relate not only to higher education and formal schooling, but also to informal and non-formal elements of education and training, which together form part of Commonwealth nations' commitment to the goal of "education for all".
5. COL has become a focal point for the marshalling of countries' educational resources to advance the cause of human resource development at the international level. Some of the achievements COL has accomplished on a Commonwealth-wide basis include:
- launching of the
Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship Scheme, which will award more than 100 students from 18 Commonwealth countries with graduate-level qualifications in Distance Education;
- development and distribution of the
Water Safe/Food Safe materials designed for training in hygienic standards for food preparation and storage and adapted by COL for use internationally;
- research into issues affecting access and equity, e.g.
Barriers Faced by Women in Distance Education
;
- development of course materials in
legislative drafting, in co-operation with the Commonwealth Secretariat, as part of a Commonwealth-wide training programme; and
- establishment of
professional associations for distance education, covering the small-island states of the Pacific as well as associations for western and southern Africa.
6. In addition, COL has become widely recognised as the major Commonwealth source of professional expertise and innovation in the educational sector, and in that role the organisation has provided invaluable support to Commonwealth countries and institutions in the adoption of distance education and open learning:
- design and implementation, with associated training, of a digital editing facility to support the production of educational programming in the
Maldives;
- materials and technical support for establishing a computer training centre in
Zambia;
- provision of materials, information technology and training in support of the Organisation of
Eastern Caribbean States' distance education programme;
- design and installation of educational teleconferencing systems in the
Solomon Islands,
Kenya,
India,
St. Lucia and
Malaysia; and
- establishment of the
Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, with offices and staff based at Indira Gandhi National Open University in New Delhi,
India.
7. During the past two years, however, the fiscal constraints encountered by the organisation have increasingly inhibited its capacity to respond to the demands of its clients. This has resulted in a narrowing of the scope of its activities, and an inability to meet priority national and regional needs. On the regional level, COL has had to defer plans in respect to:
- the production of literacy and teaching training materials for the
Refugee Programme in Southern Africa; and
- work to assist SEAMEO in the establishment of a network for open and distance learning in Southeast Asia.
8. On the national level, the organisation has been unable to respond to the requested support for a number of initiatives, notably:
- strengthening of the Namibian College of Open Learning;
- installation of videoconferencing systems at the professional faculties of the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago;
- training of rural women in new techniques for the cultivation and processing of agricultural products in Nigeria (Ahmadu Bello University); and
- planned improvements to the open schooling systems of the College of Distance Education, Papua New Guinea.
9. Moreover, the lack of a secure longer term financial foundation for COL's work has consistently impeded its capacity to plan and invest in major initiatives in such highly valued areas as open schooling, especially for the benefit of women and girls, regional learning networks, and mechanisms for materials exchange, student support services and accreditation. It will in the immediate future threaten even the continuation of such programmes as the Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship scheme and the ongoing provision of materials and technical support to many regions of the Commonwealth.
Resources
10.
Despite its impressive achievements, its numerous commendations from governments and others, and the increasing need and demand for its services, COL faces a funding crisis which threatens its continued existence as an instrument for Commonwealth co-operation.
11. The accomplishments of COL in its first few years have been a direct result of the generous financial contributions made to the organisation by over 30 Commonwealth governments, (Annex attached). Brunei's leadership, as COL's main benefactor for this initial period, was quickly followed by other countries, notably Canada, the Province of British Columbia (Canada), India, Britain, Nigeria and Australia. The assurance of an initial tranche of funds amounting to $25 million (Cdn), which provided for the first five years of COL's operations, helped to lay the foundations for a viable and vibrant agency. Although there continues to be a substantial demand for COL's services across a wide spectrum of the educational community throughout the Commonwealth, as confirmed in the Progress Review, governments have not made adequate financial provision for a continuation of COL's work into the immediate future.
12. As recommended in the Progress Review, the COL Board considers that an annual amount of $5 million (Cdn) is necessary to enable the organisation to maintain a credible number and quality of professional staff and to undertake minimal programme levels consistent with its mandate and strategic objectives. Although many governments expressed support for COL at the Cyprus CHOGM in 1993 and again at the CCEM in Islamabad in 1994, and expressed their intention to make financial contributions to its work, to this point in time, government pledges and income fall well short of a level of subsistence funding sufficient to allow programme operations to continue beyond June 30, 1996. In the Board's assessment, immediate steps to attain a threshold level of financial support in the range of $5 million (Cdn) are essential in order to maintain COL's programmes over the next two-year period.
13. COL accepts the premise that it must diversify its funding sources and types and actively cultivate alliances that are consistent with its general mandate and strategic priorities. Its new Strategic Plan commits COL to approach other sources of funding, both public and private sector, to underwrite specific activities or to engage in joint ventures devoted to specific programme or geographic areas. The success of such partnership activities are necessary to promote both resource sharing and funding support, but are highly dependent on securing base funding levels sufficient to ensure the integrity of COL's programme and professional complement.
14. The Board is also seeking means to ensure a more stable and reliable basis for funding that will enable the organisation to plan its programmes effectively and efficiently over the longer term. Given the framework of voluntary funding, the Board has resolved to
accept the principle of a three-year funding cycle for COL
, as suggested in the
Strategic Outlook, 1995-98
and
establish the Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers as the focal point for the approval and resourcing of COL's three-year operational plans,
with a view to activating such a mechanism to resource the planning period, 1998-2001
.
Challenges for the Future
15. In the past few years, every major Commonwealth forum, as well as international bodies such as the World Bank and UNESCO, have recognised the actual and potential role of distance education in support of human resource development. COL can take considerable pride in the fact that its advocacy for technology and distance learning has helped bring about such a major change in perception. In doing so, it has been able to call upon the experience and expertise of organisations and institutions spanning the spectrum of development in the Commonwealth, and to promote their collaboration in the development and use of these tools for their individual and collective educational goals.
16. The environment of the mid-1990's provides an opportunity for COL to look forward to the next planning period, leading towards the next century. This is an environment in which the many developments in technology and telecommunications have overtaken the imagination of distance educators about the ways in which these developments can be used in support of educational purposes. COL believes that the time is right for the next stage of development to occur, drawing upon the platform already established. This will enable the organisation to sensitise Commonwealth member governments to the possible roles of technology in human resource development and at the same time ensure that these governments are aware of the risks associated with
not
being able to draw upon and use such technologies.
17. If it secures a $5 million (Cdn) operating budget, COL is confident that it will be able to supplement this through collaborative relationships, specific partnerships, independent fund raising and the like. Such additional resources are needed to nurture and sustain the additional projects and activities. In order for COL to survive and be seen to be useful, particularly to developing countries of the Commonwealth, the organisation must grow - it cannot remain at its present level. If it remains at this level or shrinks further, there will be damage not only to COL itself, but also irrevocable damage done to the belief in the efficacy of the Commonwealth itself among those who are in most need of help and assistance from it.
Proposals for Action
18. In view of the continuing progress made by The Commonwealth of Learning and the widespread support it enjoys, and in light of the ongoing demands for its services and assistance, Heads of Government are respectfully requested:
- to reaffirm their belief in the importance of human resource development for all Commonwealth nations, and their commitment to the aims and activities of The Commonwealth of Learning as an agency with which to further this goal; and
- to translate their Ministers' expressions of support into new or renewed financial contributions, indicating their commitment where possible for the next three years.
Board of Governors
The Commonwealth of Learning,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
September 1995
Statement of Funds Received to June 30, 1993
Notes Funds Received
-
Australia A $220,000 (See note 1 )
- The Bahamas £10,304
- Bangladesh $30,538
- Barbados (I) £12,500
- Barbados (ii) 1992/93-1993/94 Bds $6,500
- Botswana £50,000
- Brunei Darussalam £3,000,000
- Canada
- Cyprus £8,000
- Dominica $7,390
- Guyana US $19,755
- India $1,842,284
- Jamaica $14,470
- Maldives £5,000
- Malta £5,000
- Mauritius US $20,000
- New Zealand NZ $250,000
- Nigeria £600,000
- Sri Lanka £10,000
- Tonga US $5,000
- Trinidad & Tobago £10,000
-
United Kingdom £150,000
- Vanuatu $4,000
- Zimbabwe £72,600
Note 1
Australia's pledge of A $2 million over five financial years was to be directed to both COL/AIDAB programmes in the South Pacific and Southern Africa region as well as to core budget contributions to COL. The sum of A $220,000 shown has been received by COL towards the core budget. Through the respective advisory committees, it is noted that A $1,601,960 has so far been expended on COL/AIDAB projects in the two regions to June 30, 1993.
Note 2
The United Kingdom agreed to contribute up to £2 million over the five years April 1, 1989 to March 31, 1994, under bilateral arrangements with the British Open University, to develop the information database at the International Centre for Distance Learning (ICDL) and to build in academic transfer information. This development is in addition to other help which is to be given from time to time under bilateral country programmes and research programmes on agreed projects. COL has been informed that £1,566,766 was paid by ODA to UKOU as at June 30, 1993.
An additional pledge of £50,000 per year for years 1990/91 to 1992/93 and £100,000 for year 1993/94 was made to assist COL in availing itself of goods and services from U.K. sources and a further pledge of £100,000 was made to assist COL in the area of programme support for the year of 1993/94 as a "once off" contribution.
Note 3
The Province of British Columbia, Canada, also paid an additional $430,000 over four years to support the Fellowship Programme for the years 1989/90 through 1993/94.
Funding Received for the Years 1994 to 1995
(All amounts are expressed in Canadian Dollars)
Years Ended June 30
Country/Funding Received 1994/ Funding Received 1995
- Australia/$77,306/$57,084
- Bangladesh/8,412
- Barbados/5,632/5,108
- Botswana/34,684/20,432
- Canada
- C.I.D.A./1,100,000/1,150,000
- Heritage Canada/Dep't of Comm/223,000/177,000
- Province of B.C/1,000,000/1,000,000
- Dominica/8,649
- The Gambia/22,312
- Guyana/27,400
- India /433,076
- Jamaica/9,362/13,235
- Maldives/6,337
- Malta/2,225
- Mauritius/29,156
- Namibia/21,125
- New Zealand/41,635/33,090
- Pakistan/20,941
- Sri Lanka/13,764/12,940
- St. Lucia/4,746
- Tonga/8,249/6,442
- Trinidad & Tobago/21,983/39,578
- United Kingdom/1,227,878/494,741
- TOTAL: Funding Received 1994 - $4,271,203 / Funding Received 1995 - $3,086,319
* Governments commissioned a review of COL in 1993 designed to assess the performance and achievements of its first five years of operation and to report to governments with recommendations for COL's further development and funding. The Progress Review Committee (PRC), chaired by Dr. H. Ian Macdonald, consulted over 250 individuals and conducted a survey of more than 200 Ministries, institutions and organisations associated with COL across the Commonwealth, and reported high levels of satisfaction with COL's programmes and activities. Recommendations from two further studies of COL's operations, on organisation and management and on governance, are in the process of implementation, as noted at the 1994 CCEM, where Ministers endorsed measures aimed at greater organisational efficiencies and a more streamlined governance structure.