Distance education: a model for Ethiopian University of Gondar

Although distance education is catching up in almost all countries in the world, it is still little known and less studied in many of the developing countries including Sub-Saharan Africa (SAA). Achieving the Millennium Development Goals and the 'Education for All' (EFA) targets, to which African Governments have committed themselves, is a daunting task that requires, among other initiatives, the use of open and distance learning. Ethiopia faces many historical, cultural, social and political obstacles that have restricted progress in education for many centuries. Social awareness that education is important is something that Ethiopia lacks and despite several efforts gender disparity as well as urban rural disparity remains a big challenge at all levels of education especially at tertiary level. The present paper is an effort to study the need for distance education programmes and based on prospective users' preferences; suggest a model to be followed at distance education centre of University of Gondar.