Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...

Curriculum and Learning Materials Development© State Resource Centre AssamThe Rabha Mother Tongue Literacy Project is taggedto the National Literacy Programme and, thus, thecurriculum must conform accordingly. The nationalprogramme curriculum includes such topics aslocal environment, culture, small family norms,reproductive/child health, and gender equality. Allthese topics are included in the first three primers.The primers in Phase II will deal with these issues, aswell, but include more ideas and additional detail. Innumeracy, the figures from 1-100 are included. Simplearithmetic (plus, minus, multiplication, division ) is alsopart of the curriculum.From the project’s beginning, the State Resource Centre (SRC) of Assam has consulted with the communityand the Rabha Literacy Society on the production process. The writers were identified with help from theRabha Literacy Society. A language expert from the Department of Linguistics, Gauhati University, andmaterial production experts from SRC Assam, the Department of Modern Indian Languages, GauhatiUniversity, and SIL International participated in the writers workshop.The primers for the literacy programme are being prepared using the IPCL (Improved Pace and Contentof Learning) method. In this method, instead of teaching the alphabet first, words from pictures areintroduced. When the National Adult Education Programme was introduced in 1978, the wholeprogramme took 350 hours of learning using standard books. After much deliberation, the country’sAdult Education experts decided to use the word method. Using this method, the actual learning timeto become literate was brought down to 200 hours.During the week-long workshop, identification of the content forthe primers and lessons was finalized. Each primer would have ninelessons and one self-evaluation sheet after three lessons. The threeprimers would thus have nine self-evaluation sheets. The primerswould cover the Assamese alphabet and conjunct letters, as well. Asnoted above, some numeracy would also be included.After completing Primer I, the contents for primers II and III weredecided upon and drafts for the same prepared. A second and thirdworkshop were subsequently held, where the primers II and III, aswell as a teacher’s hand book for each primer, were finalized. Carewas taken so that Rabha life and culture were reflected in the primersalong with national issues.After the primers were completed, review workshops were held.Expats went through the material and commented on it. The primerswere revised and the draft copies field tested among Rabha learners.After further revision, the final copies were ready for printing.© State Resource Centre Assam[ 100 ]