SITE VISIT - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...
SITE VISIT - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...
SITE VISIT - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...
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programs can be stopped for group discussi<strong>on</strong>s or questi<strong>on</strong>s when used in a classroom setting<br />
resulting in a more interactive use of the materials.<br />
While there are lots of radios in South Africa, there are fewer recorders. This must be taken into<br />
c<strong>on</strong>siderati<strong>on</strong>. Also educators must be trained in the basic skills of recording, cataloguing <strong>and</strong><br />
properly storing tapes. Also, supplying tapes to schools must also be c<strong>on</strong>sidered. One proposal<br />
submitted is dedicating at least <strong>on</strong>e nati<strong>on</strong>al public radio channel to the delivery of audio material<br />
for recording. The same could be d<strong>on</strong>e for televisi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Another distributi<strong>on</strong> strategy would involve providing pre-recorded audio or video tapes for<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al purposes, especially since the costs of these tapes are declining.<br />
Steps should be taken by educati<strong>on</strong> ministries to make sure that, resources permitting, each<br />
school <strong>and</strong> community learning centre has a radio recording <strong>and</strong> playback equipment for group<br />
<strong>and</strong> individual use.<br />
Dedicated Educati<strong>on</strong>al Channels<br />
An IDASA report by Akwe Amosu in 1992 suggests an independent Educati<strong>on</strong>al Broadcasting<br />
Corporati<strong>on</strong>, separate from the SABC, free of direct government interference, charged with<br />
producing a wide range of educati<strong>on</strong>al material for both televisi<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> radio aimed at both the<br />
formal <strong>and</strong> the n<strong>on</strong>formal educati<strong>on</strong> sectors. The report also proposes that radio <strong>and</strong> televisi<strong>on</strong><br />
producers go to colleges, instituti<strong>on</strong>s, trade uni<strong>on</strong>s, etc. to work closely with the c<strong>on</strong>sumers of<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al broadcasting, to learn their needs <strong>and</strong> what c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong> they can make to programs.<br />
The EBC would also have regi<strong>on</strong>al centres as well as a nati<strong>on</strong>al unit <strong>and</strong> would generate<br />
programming dedicated to courses in specific localities. it would be staffed by broadcaster<br />
trained <strong>and</strong> specialising in educati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
In l993 SABC launched Nati<strong>on</strong>al Network Televisi<strong>on</strong> (NNTV), which they purport to be the<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>al broadcasting stati<strong>on</strong>, although it bears little resemblance to the Amosu report<br />
recommendati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Only when the IBA completes its investigati<strong>on</strong>s will there be a final policy <strong>on</strong> a truly educati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
or public broadcasting stati<strong>on</strong> in South Africa.<br />
N<strong>on</strong>-governmental Organizati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>and</strong> Educati<strong>on</strong>al Media<br />
In the past few years, some NGOs have attempted to fill the educati<strong>on</strong> gap by developing their<br />
own educati<strong>on</strong> media materials, including audio <strong>and</strong> video cassette tapes <strong>and</strong> newspaper <strong>and</strong><br />
magazine inserts. Either they distributed these materials as best they could or hoped to distribute<br />
their products more widely <strong>on</strong>ce a democratic government was in power.<br />
NGOs have used educati<strong>on</strong>al media in innovative ways for public benefit. During the run-up to<br />
the April 1994 electi<strong>on</strong>, some NGO's took televisi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>and</strong> videotapes <strong>on</strong> minibus vans <strong>and</strong> other<br />
transport into remote communities to play tapes to people in their own languages who had no<br />
other access to video. NGOs are also involved in training teachers in effective ways to use media<br />
as an educati<strong>on</strong>al resource. Examples are: the Community Educati<strong>on</strong> Computer Society in Cape<br />
Town which taught teachers to use computers to generate attractive graphics <strong>and</strong> printed<br />
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