The use of distance learning strategies in developing countries is by no means novel. The potential connections between distance learning and development processes have been recognized for decades, as the following passage from Kabwasa and Kaunda (1973) demonstrates:

“Correspondence education has yet to make an impact in Africa. We feel it is our responsibility to give it as much publicity as we can, so that our people know its potentialities and possibilities, and how they can go about making greater use of it in the development of our continent.”

Though poverty occurs in all countries, the situation is particularly severe in developing countries. According to the United Nations report (1997), about 1.3 billion people currently live on less than a dollar a day (generally considered to be the measure of extreme poverty). Almost one billion are illiterate and over a billion lack access to safe water. Nearly 850 million people do not get enough to eat. Women make up 70 per cent of the worlds poor. And one third of the people living in the least-developed countries are not expected to live to 40 years of age. Eliminating poverty globally is an ethical, social, political and economic goal. It can only be reached through a multidimensional and integrated approach that combines programs and projects targeted at people, living in poverty with policies and strategies that meet the basic needs of all strengthen their productive capacities, and empower them to participate in decision-making on policies that affect them. Such efforts must ensure access of all to productive resources, opportunities and public services, and enhance social protection and lessen vulnerability. Sustained and broad-based economic advancement, social development and environmental protection are essential for boosting living standards and for eradicating poverty in a sustained manner. (www.fao.org)

Poverty has many dimensions in Pakistan. The poor in Pakistan have not only low income but they also lack access to basic needs such as education, health, clean drinking water and proper sanitation. The vicious cycle of poverty is accentuated when the governance structure excludes the most vulnerable from the decision process. It is hard to overcome because it consists of a series of vicious circles or a set of inter locking equilibrium circumstances that reinforce one another. (Economic Survey 2005)

Calvert (1986) wrote that distance education helps extend the market for education to clientele who have not been previously served. (www.fao.org)

Distance education plays an important role in poverty alleviation. Through this system even the low income people who have no access to education in formal universities can improve their qualification which in turn contributes towards increasing the literacy rate, which in the long run can be useful towards eradicating poverty.

2. Rural Development through distance learning - A case Study

Despite the existence of large urban centers, Pakistan is still predominantly a rural society with approximately 70 percent of the population living in villages in rural areas. Rural development implies comprehensive and sustainable development for people and places in rural areas. It depends on several interrelated components including development of appropriate production technology, dissemination of modern technology to the farming community, formulation of suitable policies for growth in the farm and rural non-farm economies, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, and provision of infrastructure and social services. All countries in the world are subject to continual social and economic change, and the rural sectors of developing countries and countries in transition are pivotal in this process. It is recognized that in a context of increasing globalization an understanding of the underlying driving forces of this process and its consequences is critical.

Achieving rural development and responding to these global challenges will require trained professionals with a wide range of relevant expertise. They are needed to work in government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and in the private sector. Professionals are needed who can formulate appropriate policies and plans, design and implement development projects, disseminate appropriate technology and information to farmers and small-scale entrepreneurs, and manage businesses and the efficient delivery of services in rural areas. Recognizing the growing needs and requirements for trained professionals in rural development; AIOU initiated a Masters level program in Rural Development in spring 2005. This program provides graduates with an interdisciplinary base from which to approach the diverse issues involved in rural change. It is designed for students interested in pursuing careers that are interactive with the potential and problems associated with the rural sector.

2.1 Objectives of the program

The program gives students the opportunities to develop;

2.2 Target group

The expected target/student group will have range of backgrounds including Agriculturists, Veterinarians, Engineers, Sociologists, Anthropologists etc. Typically they will find work in:

2.3 Mode of teaching

2.4. The program covers

The program consists of 8 credits, spread over 4 credits of course work and 4 credits of research thesis which can be completed within minimum period of two years. The courses are Sustainable Rural Development, Rural Poverty Alleviation, Regenerating Agriculture, Human Resource Development, NGO Management, Managing Projects in Rural Development, Natural Resource Management and Research for Development.

2.5. Progress of the Rural Development Program

The first semester of the program ended in November 2005, which went quite successful. A total number of 157 Students from all over the country are enrolled in this program. The following Table and graph show province wise distribution of the students through out Pakistan.

Figure 1

Table. 1. Province wise distribution of students

The following Table and graph show the percentage of the students who considered the program successful and those who stated it as unsuccessful. This shows that out of the total number of 157 students 149 students considered it successful and up to their expectations while only 8 % stated that it was not up to the mark.

Table 2. Success of the program

Source: Data collected from students

Figure 2

3. Suggestions

The students explained that most of them were working in NGO's and they had taken this program for their professional growth and development to enhance their knowledge about development and to improve their skills and capacity-building They said the program had come 80% up to their expectations. They expressed that this program is a very good initiative that helps to convert their experience into qualification as well as enrich their experience towards contributing to the organization they are working for.

Most of the students were satisfied with the program. However some of the students were of the view that the course content was not in Pakistani context and measures should be taken to present books in South Asian context. The participants also suggested that the semester workshops should be participatory in future; for example presentations by the participants and group discussions besides lectures delivered by the resource persons. The use of modern techniques and multimedia was appreciated by the participants.

4. Recommendations

The following suggestions were given by the students

References

Arger, Geoff (1985). Promise and reality: A critical analysis of the literature available in Australia on distance education in the Third World. ERIC document ED 284 022.

Bilham, T., & Gilmour, R. (1995). Distance Education in Engineering for Developing Countries. London: Overseas Development Administration.

Burge, E. (1998). Gender in distance education. In C.C. Gibson (Ed.) Distance Learners in Higher Education: Institutional Responses for Quality Outcomes. Madison, Wisconsin: Atwood Publishing, p. 25-45.

Calvert, B. (1986). Facilitating Transfer of Distance Courses. Paper presented at the 8th World Conference on Development and Social Opportunity, Delhi, India: Open University Press.

Daniel, J. (1990). Distance education and developing countries. In M. Croft et al. (Eds.) Distance Education: Development and Access. Papers in English prepared for the Fifteenth ICDE World Conference held in Caracas, Venezuela, November 4-10, p. 101-110.

Dodds, T. (1999). Non-Formal and Adult Basic Education through Open and Distance Learning in Africa: Developments in the Nineties towards Education for All. Vancouver: Commonwealth of Learning.

Fillip, B. (2000). Distance Education in Africa: New Technologies and New Opportunities. Washington: Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Government of Pakistan (2005). Economic Survey of Pakistan, GOP.

Guy, R. (1991). Distance education and the developing world: Colonization, collaboration and control. In Terry Evans and Bruce King (Eds.) Beyond the text: Contemporary writings on distance education. Geelong: Deakin University Press, p. 152-175.

Kabwasa, A., & Kaunda, M. (1973). Correspondence Education in Africa. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

McAnany, E., Oliviera, J.B., Orivel, F., & Stone, J. (1983). Distance Education: Evaluating New Approaches in Education for Developing Countries. Evaluation in Education, 6, p. 289-376.

Shrestha, G. (1997b). A Review of Case Studies Related to Distance Education in Developing Countries. [Online] Retrieved August 27, 2001.

UNESCO (1997). Open and Distance Learning: Prospects and Policy Considerations. Paris: UNESCO.

Department of Agricultural Sciences, Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, Pakistan

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