Efforts Towards Gender Equity in Academic and Employment Opportunities in The Open University of Tanzania

Education and employment opportunities are complementary concepts. Education opens the doors of knowledge, skills and empowerment, which in turn unlocks the opportunities for employment. The higher and varied are the educational opportunities, the more enhanced are the opportunities for varied and prestigious job opportunities. Job-opportunities specify educational levels, types and quality, which an applicant must have to secure the job opportunity. As such, one cannot discuss employment opportunities without touching on educational requirements and efforts towards combating HIV/AIDS at national and contextual levels because the latter impact negatively on recipients of education and beneficiaries of job opportunities. This paper describes and analyses how The Open University of Tanzania has endeavoured to bring about progress in narrowing down the gap between female and male university students’ enrolment in academic programmes and academics, technical and administrative staff in employment opportunities. The paper starts by highlighting the roles of education as a means of transmitting “knowledge, attitudes and values but focuses on the liberation and the transformative role it plays against physical and mental enslavement because it is dynamic, and the engine that brings about development of oneself and that of the nation at large. The establishment of The Open University of Tanzania was meant to democratize tertiary and university education so that those needing it, the marginalized groups can access it. Measures taken by OUT to reduce gender gap in academic and employment opportunities and students enrolment at non-degree, graduate and post graduate programmes include: the Charter and Rules, other legal provisions, the admission policy, the establishment of gender unit and the technical committee to spearhead its day to day activities. The committee also oversees adherance to the legal and regulatory provisions regarding the composition of decision making organs as far as gender is concerned. Staff development and succession plan, and conditionalities pertaining to the institution; the recruitment and employment policies, institutional and individual efforts all aimed at enhancing female enrolment. There is no doubt that a lot of progress has been made though efforts to realize gender parity in academic and employment at OUT has a long way to go. The legal and democratic instruments, policies and organs are in place, observed and are working relatively well though a lot more determination and practical action are required to fast track the process. There is a need  to enhance the national institutions’ capacity to perform and deliver quality outputs which constitute the inputs to OUT. It is high time that a study be carried out on how to improve increased enrolment of women in The Open University of Tanzania.Descriptors: gender equity, academics, job opportunities, tertiary and  higher education and transformative education

Vocational Education and Skills Training in Mainland Tanzania for National Development: A Review of the Literature from a Historical Perspective

The development of any country Tanzania included depends on availability and effective utilization of human resources, which in turn are predicated on the level, quantity and quality of education, especially vocational andtechnical education and skills attained through formal and informal education, living and working contexts which have the role of improving productivity and enhancing per-capita income of the individual and the nation at large. Human resources transform the economy as well as the society itself through wealth creation and value added to primary produce. Vocational training develops skills of the individual human being  culminating into the accumulated knowledge and technical skills that are needed for national development. Skilled personnel constitute the most important resource for national development. This paper has traced the development of vocational education and skills training and acquisitionin Tanzania and its contribution to the development of Tanzania. Starting from the colonial governments (the German and British administration) the missionaries provided both vocational education and skills training; a role carried over to the post-independence period during which policies for improvement of vocational education and skills training were given even greater emphasis by the newly acquired national government. This paper assesses the influence vocational education has contributed to the  development of Tanzania. Prior to independence, initiatives for vocational education and skills provision came largely from both the government and the various religious denominations. The goals for establishment of vocational education were to construct and service their respective premises for various activities including their own accommodation, churches for religious ceremonies, conference halls, and workshops halls, as well as for the benefit of trainees own houses. The colonial government’s interest in vocational education and skills training focused more on the construction and provision of equipment for Government premises, road repairs  including bridges which were termed public works. The thrust for vocational education and skills expansion took place after independence especially after the policy of Education for Self-Reliance; which was fully backed by both the government and the Rulling Party as reflected in the Musoma resolution as well as the policy of liberalization of Education and in theEducation and Training Policy of 1995. The ESR Policy led to the  establishment of Post Primary Technical Centrers, Folk Development  Colleges, Diversification of Secondary Education Curricula while  liberalization of education encouraged private sector providers of vocational education and skills training especially for profit making. The  establishment of VETA to register all institutions providing vocational education to follow identified curricula and standardizing the assessment served to improve the quality of Vocational Education and Skills acquisition. As per 2010/2011 Tanzania can be proud of having attained gender parity in Folk and Vocational education training. Despite challenges there aregood prospects for sustained vocational education provision and skills acquisition for national development. Keywords: Vocational Education and Skills Training, Diversification, productivity, skilled personnel, lessons, Human Resources, Post Primary Technical Centres, Apprenticeships, Folk Development Colleges and Diversified Secondary Education Curricula

Teacher Education by Open and Distance Learning: Experiences and Lessons of the 1970s and Prospects of MOEC's Current Teacher Education and Professional Development Initiatives

No Abstract Available Huria: Journal of the Open University of Tanzania Vol.5 2003: 1-3