Zimbabwe Open University
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 1999 |
| Vice-Chancellor | Professor A.C. Ncube |
| Students | 30, 185 |
| Address | P. O. Box MP 1119 Mount Pleasant, Harare, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| Website | http://www.zou.ac.zw/ |
The Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) is a distance education university in Zimbabwe. Established in 1999, it is the only distance education university in the country. Student enrollment at ZOU has been growing steadily from the time of its formation and in terms of enrollment it is the largest university in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Open University has three faculties under which the academic programmes are conducted.
After independence, the Government of Zimbabwe adopted a policy of Education for all. To address the need for high skilled manpower the 5 Year National Development Plan (1991–1995) stated:
Investment in human resources development is investment in human capital and complements investment in physical and technological innovation. The natural environment can support higher population levels only through technological progress, which requires continued investment in human resources development. Since 1980, GOZ (the Government of Zimbabwe) has aimed at creating an education system that would address the socio-economic needs of the country.
The University of Zimbabwe, which was the single university in the country at that time, could not cope with the demand for university education. Two commissions were established: the Williams Commission (1981) and the Zimbabwe Open University Feasibility Study (1986). In July 1994, a committee was formed to investigate the development of university distance education. The commission recommended that there is need for distance education at university level to upgrade skills and "to provide a continuing education facility for the adult population". Based on these recommendations the Center for Distance Education (CDE) of the University of Zimbabwe was formed in 1993. In 1996, it became the University College of Distance Education (UCDE) and finally renamed to Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) on March 1, 1999 by an Act of Parliament. The first Vice-Chancellor was Professor Peter Dzvimbo.
Below is a table showing student enrollment in the Zimbabwe Open University from 1999 to 2003:
The year 2001 marked the increase of the enrollment figures to 23,161. It was because Commerce degrees were introduced that year. There was a decline in student enrollment in 2002 because some found independent learning difficult and many students faced economic difficulties. In 2003, a total of 19,228 students were enrolled in the university which constituted 46.9% of the total university enrolment in the country. According to 2006 estimates, approximately 20,000 students are enrolled in the university which makes it the largest university in Zimbabwe.
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