African higher education is currently facing tremendous challenges. The pressure and demand for access is huge. This is understandable against the background of traditionally low participation, low success and throughput rates, declining financial contributions from governments and donors, and critical pressures for efficiency, modernization,…

It is 40 years since Coombs (1967) first drew attention to the World Education Crisis, and specifically problems in the educational systems of countries in the developing world. Today, many of these problems remain, and are most visible in the educational systems of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. A large number of children remain out of school…

Universities should provide open and lifelong learning to the broader audiences that technology enables them to reach. Changes required include (1) open-entry admissions; (2) flexible curricula; (3) remote part-time study; (4) flexible progress through degree programs; (5) student support networks; (6) transfer between open and full-time study;…

Quality is high on the education agendas of developing countries. Much time, effort, and finance have been poured into various initiatives and reforms in an effort to improve quality in these countries. However, so far success has been limited and the quality of education in many developing countries remains poor. Efforts to explore the reasons…

Describes teacher education in Namibia following independence from South African rule, discussing a basis for transformation, critical factors affecting transformation, features of the teacher-preparation program, and tensions between different actors (including foreign support), suggesting that transformative forces must reorganize themselves at…

Discusses the relationship between education and Apartheid in South Africa and Namibia, asserting that the political system was fostered by unequal educational systems that provided different schools and resources for different population groups. Describes the increase of alternative education projects, including the National Literacy Programme in…

Namibian teacher-education reforms cast teachers as critical developers of schooling changes, not as government servants delivering an approved curriculum. Reforms are contributing to a societal reconstruction that means greater equity for all Namibians. The role of critical practitioner inquiry in supporting learner-centered, democratic practices…