The videos were made available on national television, in learning centres across Namibia, at NAMCOL bookshops, and online through the NAMCOL and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) websites. They were developed through a multimedia-capacity-building programme supported by COL. The report is being introduced to help guide others as they develop their own strategic plans for integrating multimedia learning materials.

Open schools are increasingly recognised as a solution to the growing demand for secondary school education in developing countries. As primary school enrolments grow due to successful efforts to meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of Universal Primary Education, many nations are unable to accommodate the corresponding increase in potential secondary school students.


The "open" in Open Schooling refers to the openness of the system; usually there are no rules dictating student ages, prerequisites, content of courses, or the number of courses in which learners must enroll. As a result, Open Schooling meets the needs of a broad range of learners.


Open Schooling is increasingly recognised as a viable solution to the lack of qualified teachers and conventional schools in the developing world. Open Schooling is defined by two elements:

• the physical separation of the school-level learner from the teacher, and
• the use of unconventional teaching methodologies and information and communications technologies (ICTs) to bridge the separation and provide the education and training.

COL is helping to increase access to quality education while increasing student achievement by providing teachers in developing countries with new technologies, tools and skills.