The Private School Swakopmund (PSS) recently held an information evening with the topic "Guided Distance Education – a solution for senior secondary education at the Coast?"

The evening was held at "Namposi" the old Vineta post office, which now forms part of the PSS school buildings. The evening was well attended by parents, students and interested parties. A subcommittee of the school’s management board presented its findings on possible high school options considered for the school. Students currently involved at the PSS in guided distance education in grade 11 and 12 presented information on how guided distance education works and what advantages and disadvantages were being experienced. Some of the issues presented were as follows:

What is distance education? Distance education is a format of high schooling whereby students enter into a contract with a distance education provider and effectively study "in their own time". A fair number of distance education providers already exist world-wide and in South Africa. The current service provider used by the PSS students is a South African provider called "Brainline", which offers final qualifications similar to those taught at conventional schools, i.e. the South African Matric or the Cambridge system generally accepted in Namibia.

Students use computers to interact with Brainline and are required to complete regular assignments. Brainline provides "on-line" tutors for each subject as well as an inter-active webpage where students can pose questions and obtain other information.

What is Guided Distance Education? Guided distance education is the provision of additional services by the school to support the distance education students. The students are part of the school and need to attend school in the same way as the rest of the school. Thus the students are incorporated into an organised classroom set-up and do not have to go through schooling single handedly like in home schooling systems. The PSS high school teachers (PSS offers conventional schooling up to grade 10) spend some of their day with the distance education students to effectively achieve a 50% teaching cover for the distance education students. Students are required to participate in sport and cultural activities of the PSS and in "classroom" activities, like discussions and orals.

What are "value added" services? The subcommittee recommended to employ a full-time facilitator to further support the guided distance education students in communication with the service provider, co-ordinating requirements with internal or even external (HIGCSE) teachers and generally streamlining the operations.

The subcommittee facilitated a visit of two persons from Brainline on Wednesday, 3 August 2005 at 19h00 in the Distance Education classroom at the Private School Swakopmund, main entrance from Kuhnast Street. The information evening consists of a presentation on what Brainline offers and "question time". Further information can be obtained from the school’s secretary, Tel. 463280.