Mitigating the Challenges Confronting Out-of-School Children in African Commonwealth Countries through Improving Access to Open Schooling

Abstract

Open Schooling has been touted as a panacea to confront the challenge of Out-of-School Children (OOSC). However, there is a dearth of studies on the accessibility and success of OOSC through open schooling despite the grim statistics on the number of affected children — especially in the African Commonwealth (AC) countries. If there are accessibility challenges within the open schooling system, this spells double tragedy for OOSC with dire consequences for implementation. Based on Jasper’s (2013) reflective cycle (ERA), the current literature and guided by the Capabilities Approach (CA), this reflective paper argues that for this schooling method to yield positive results, stakeholders should focus on accessibility and equity matters. We need a dual approach: improving access, retention, and success in traditional schooling, and providing flexible and supportive learning pathways back into schooling through distance education for those who have left the traditional system. Therefore, the paper suggests a holistic and contextualised model in which CA serves as a foundation for not only providing access to students but leading them to meaningful and fulfilled lives. The constitutive elements should embrace a transparent definition of equity, an understanding of the target audience, an adaptive curriculum, contextualised infrastructure, measurement and evaluation, and research, among others.