Linking Higher Education to Basic Education. Workshop Report (Langkawi, Malaysia, March 1997).

Overview & Synopsis

A 1997 workshop developed strategies to help higher education institutions (HEIs) enhance their capacity to support the goals of basic education, as articulated at the 1990 World Conference on Education for All. Ten country studies were used as resource materials. Strategies were articulated to support basic education through teacher education, research, and service to the community. Teacher education strategies included "train the trainers" initiatives and reexamining teaching curricula to ensure they were appropriate for basic/primary education. Research strategies included prioritizing research that contributed to national development goals and engaging in multidisciplinary research. Additional strategies addressed included: linking service to community activities with teaching and research, and creating specialist departments, such as adult basic education or continuing education. Institutional action plans were also developed to organize focused activities (courses, conferences) around basic education issues and create networks among HEIs. Additional individual initiatives suggested included: designing new courses and seeking support to establish a specialist unit within one's HEI. Participants represented the following countries: Botswana, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Zambia, Pakistan, and England. The texts of two workshop speeches are appended. (SW)