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

NetworkingThe MoEYS and UNESCO have given this project a chance to impact the Bunong people of Mondulkiri.The POEYS has also had very valuable collaboration at the district and commune levels in helping tospread information about the classes. The village chiefs have been involved in actual monitoring of theclasses and village situations, and the communities themselves have whole-heartedly supported theproject, some even allowing classes to be held in their homes.Cost Effectiveness of the ProjectThe number of students has varied and will continue to vary depending on the agricultural cycle, butthere is great value in the project in terms of impact on the community and motivating the community tostart valuing literacy. Employing local teachers from within the community not only helps in acceptanceof the community, but also helps to reduce costs. If the POEYS were to hire-in teachers from outside,they would need to supply living accommodation or higher salaries to provide for their needs. In caseswhere the village has Bunong-certified teachers, they have been able to continue to teach during theday in the formal school system and, in that way, best use the limited human resources available.Sustainability of the ProjectCommunity Participation and OwnershipThe Bunong communities are very loyal to their extended families, but villages are often spread outover large areas and the members of the communities do not have a given loyalty to the community asa whole. There has been no natural forum for group decision-making and endorsement of learning as avillage. In a country dependent on outside funding for many of its community services, the communitiesare not used to needing to take their own initiative to change society. The Bunong in the past have seenlittle need for self-improvement, in general, but are now starting to feel increasing pressure to catch upand learn from outside the Bunong world in order to survive. This project has intentionally chosen wellrespectedmembers of the community to be teachers or to somehow be involved in the project withthe hope that these individuals can facilitate positive change and encourage the participation of thecommunity to take ownership of the classes.The bottom line of sustainability is that someone somewhere pays. Programme organizers are hopefulthat when teachers are sufficiently competent, and the community begins to see fruit in the lives ofthose who have gone through the bilingual NFE classes, the community will be inspired to continue thiswork with their own resources. Effort has been made to ensure that materials and teaching methods donot require on-going high expenses. Materials are easy to reproduce in black and white, and teachingmethods are simple and do not require expensive equipment and materials.The POEYS has also arranged for a community learning centre in one village to try and see how theBunong community will endorse it.[ 66 ]