OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING: INNOVATIONAL TOOL FOR RESOLVING EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITY AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Distance education as a means of providing access to education, particularly tertiary level education; has gained great prominence in the world. Nigeria like other countries of the world has taken giant steps of recent to introduce open and distance education programme to ease difficulties in accessing education. This paper examines the concept of open and distance learning; its goals and objectives; situation analysis; concepts of equity and inequality and discrepancy in Nigerian Educational System. This paper in addition critically investigates practical attempts taken to resolve educational inequalities in Nigeria. It looks at the quota system and the principle of fairness and social justice. The prospects of open and distance learning are also highlighted. The paper concludes that open and distance learning has contributed to a large extent towards education transformation to meet Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in education. Finally the paper recommended the use of government and its institutions to identify appropriate mechanisms and structures that can ensure equality access to education; strengthening educational institutions; provision of Open and Distance Learning (ODL); and promoting scholarship programmes to cater for educational needs of the under-privilege, indigent and special groups