The University of Education, Winneba, is undertaking feasibility studies to enable it to create more study centers at vantage places to bring distance learning closer to the people. Many distance learners travel currently travel hundreds kilometers to the centers of study, a situation that is creating major set back for the programme. Prof Akwasi Asabere-Ameyaw said this at the matriculation of 1,516 level 100 students to undertake Diploma in Basic Education programme by distance from the southern sector. He said the university’s 13 Centers for Distance Learning have been categorized as the Northern and the Southern sectors. The Northern sector comprises Atebubu, Bechem, Enchi, Kumasi, Navrongo, Tamale and Wa, while the southern sector is made up of Accra, Cape Coast, Dambai, Hohoe, Koforidua and Winneba. Prod Asabere-Ameyaw advised the matriculants that successful distance learning required the ability utilize their learning to be become efficient and responsible members of the society. He told them to attend the monthly tutorial sessions regularly with all the seriousness it deserves and submit their assignments on time. Prof Asabere-Ameyaw said about 15,000 Certificate 'A' teachers left the classroom each year for further studies, which created vacancies in basic schools that were difficult to fill. He said the role of distance education was therefore to create an opportunity for the teacher to attain higher learning without having to leave the classroom. Prof Asabere-Ameyaw said the use of distance education enabled the educational system to respond to the national need to train as many teachers as possible for the pre-tertiary level while at the same time keeping them in the classroom during the period of the programme. Source: GNA