Greener Journal of Educational Research

Greener Journal of  Educational Research Vol. 4(1), pp. 001-010, March 2014

 ISSN: 2276-7789 

Research Paper

Manuscript Number: 1218131037

 

Access and Inclusion of Inmates to Education through Open and Distance Learning Mode

 

Gilliet Chigunwe (Mrs)

 

 

Lecturer: Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Department of Disability Studies and Special Needs Education, Zimbabwe Open University, P Bag 984, Bindura, Zimbabwe.

 

 

Email: gchigunwe @ gmail.com, Phone (263) 773 274 013

Abstract:

The objective of the study was to establish the extent to which inmates in Zimbabwe access education. Zimbabwe is signatory to the United Nations Declaration Charter for human rights which regard education as a basic human right that should be provided to all. Inmates are a special group who has rights to equitable access to all basic benefits that society offers. Our survey revealed that prisoners in Zimbabwe are denied the opportunity to study in conventional institutions during their time of serving. This is because conventional institutions do not have special education facilities to reach out to people behind bars. Through focus group discussions, interviews and literature reviews, the study gathered that inmates in Zimbabwe’s major prisons such as Chikurubi and Hwahwa receive primary and secondary education as well as vocational training whilst small prisons like Bindura ‘Chawagonahapana’ rehabilitate inmates in the form of interprenural skills development. While this is so, inmates are short changed in pursuing diploma and degree qualifications or vocational trainings that are outside what is offered by the Zimbabwe Prison Services. As part of rehabilitation and empowerment processes, it is recommended that, Zimbabwe Prison Services (ZPS) and other prison services in Africa initiate collaborative approaches with Open and Distance Learning Institutions (ODLI). Open and Distance Learning mode has the potential of reaching out to inmates.
 
Keywords: Access, Inclusion, Inmates, Education, Open and Distance Learning.

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