Pre- and Post-COVID-19: Exploring Issues of Access in Higher Education in Botswana and Ghana

Abstract:Against the background of the arrival of COVID 19 and its challenges, this paper explors the effect of the pandemic on access provisions in higher education in Botswana and Ghana. Relying on policy documents and secondary data, the paper examines trends in tertiary enrollment, and probes into the future of higher education in these countries. It analyzes the socio-economic backgrounds of both countries, as well as the state of higher education access pre-COVID 19, during the pandemic, and the post COVID-19 periods. While both countries differ in population and human development indices, they have high literacy rates, good technological platforms, and a growing culture of online learning. This culture, further enhanced by the growth of distance education systems, is enabled by national ICT policy platforms. The countries' commonality of colonial history, and long-held desires for educational access was noted. In the context of COVID-19, both are continually adopting online teaching and learning strategies in higher education. Overall, a gradual growth is observed in tertiary access provisions and the exploration of alternative pathways to learning. Notably, the Commonwealth of Learning and Coursera initiatives are enhancing access in higher education. The paper recommends, in line with Adarkwah (2020), that the fostering of collaborative eLearning, researching learner preferences, promoting digital literacy, and enhancing infrastructural support will go a long way into mitigating the effects of COVID-19 in the future. Similarly, removing barriers to access and increasing gross enrollment ratios are vital to promoting access in tertiary education provisions in both countries.