SAIDE
{{Short description|Nonprofit organization in South Africa}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Saide (formerly South African Institute for Distance Education)
| formation = 1992
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| image = SAIDE sign board outside their Braamfontein offices.jpg
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| image_caption = Saide sign board outside their Braamfontein offices
| headquarters = Braamfontein, Johannesburg
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| region_served = Sub-Saharan Africa
| founder = Saide Board of Trustees
Founding Director: Jennie Glennie
| type = SAIDE is a non-profit organization that is registered as an educational trust
| focus = SAIDE is committed to improving education using open learning.
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| leader_title = Chief Executive Officer
| leader_name = Innocent Nkata
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| website = https://www.saide.org.za/
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Saide https://www.saide.org.za/ (formerly the South African Institute for Distance Education) transforms education policy and practices with open learning.{{Cite web |title=Open Pedagogy {{!}} OER Africa |url=https://www.oerafrica.org/content/open-pedagogy |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.oerafrica.org}} This is a non-profit, non-governmental, public benefit organization, which seeks to contribute new or appropriate models of open and distance practice {{Cite web |title=South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) {{!}} Devex |url=https://www.devex.com/organizations/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-saide-22060 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.devex.com}} and enable equitable and meaningful access to knowledge and skills in Sub Saharan Africa.{{Cite web |title=Saide |url=http://www.saide.org.za/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.saide.org.za}}
Saide builds networks or brings educational communities together, develops their capabilities and increases equitable and meaningful access to knowledge, skills and learning.{{Cite web |title=SAIDE |url=https://policycommons.net/orgs/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-za/}} Saide seek to widen access to education,https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1185867.pdf but they do not see themselves as an implemention agency.https://policycommons.net/orgs/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-za/ Instead, they are advocates for the development and implementation of open and alternative models and modes for teaching and learning at post-school level.https://static.pmg.org.za/170407openlearningframework-postschooleduc.pdf Their services include learning design, the development and sharing of open educational resources and educational transformation. especially at scale.{{Cite web |title=South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) {{!}} Devex |url=https://www.devex.com/organizations/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-saide-22060 |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=www.devex.com}}
Since the organization's inception in 1992,https://nascee.org.za/membership/members/saide Saide has taken an educational leadership role and managed a diverse range of collaborative educational projects, intended to improve the quality of education in the region. Whether synchronous or asynchronous, SAIDE promotes the use of inclusive pedagogies and technologies which promote social justice.Musara, E., Grant, C.(., Vorster, JA. (2021). Inclusion as Social Justice: Nancy Fraser’s Theory in the South African Context. In: Mullen, C.A. (eds) Handbook of Social Justice Interventions in Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer
Saide is based in Braamfontein Johannesburg. The organisation is found operating throughout South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.{{Cite web |title=South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) |url=https://www.devex.com/organizations/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-saide-22060}} It is a member of National Association of Social Change Entities in Education (NASCEE).https://nascee.org.za/membership/members/saide
SAIDE's History
UNISA, as a distance education institution, played a significant part under apartheid in offering school leavers and mature students an alternate route to formal recognition.Access to higher education through Open Distance Learning (ODL): reflections on the University of South Africa (UNISA) 2012 In book: Access to Higher Education: Under-prepared Students or Under-prepared Institutions?,Chapter: Access to higher education through Open Distance Learning (ODL): reflections on the University of South Africa (UNISA)Publisher: PearsonEditors: Rubby Dhunpath & Renuka Vithal Throughput was low and when The African National Congress (ANC) came to power, it committed to supporting distance education{{Cite journal |last=Prinsloo |first=Paul |date=2017-06-13 |title=Leaders in Distance Education on the African Continent |url=https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/225/211 |journal=Journal of Learning for Development |language=en |volume=4 |issue=2 |doi=10.56059/jl4d.v4i2.225 |issn=2311-1550|doi-access=free }} that was based on the principles of open learning.African National Congress. (1994) A Policy Framework for Education and Training, Johannesburg, ANC Education Department. The newly formed government, commissioned Saide to investigate how distance might contribute integrally to the countries new education and training system.https://www.cedol.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/98-101-2007.pdf
Since then, Saide has taken on the responsibility for advocating for openness and acted catalyst for changehttps://policycommons.net/orgs/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-za/ and "create meaningful educational opportunities for poor and marginalised groups".https://www.che.ac.za/publications/research/enhancing-contribution-distance-higher-education-south-africa
Funding
Saide receives funding from the Hewlett_Foundation for "Supporting Effective Development And Use Of OER In Higher Education Systems In Africa",https://hewlett.org/grants/saide-for-supporting-effective-development-and-use-of-oer-in-higher-education-systems-in-africa/ and the Kresge Foundation [https://kresge.org/initiative/siyaphumelela/].
Initiatives
Saide runs three major initiatives: OER Africa, Siyaphumelelahttps://www.universityworldnews.com/special-report.php?publication=africa&report=Siyaphumelela2019 (we succeed) and African Storybook.{{Cite web |title=SAIDE |url=https://policycommons.net/orgs/south-african-institute-for-distance-education-za/}}