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Good Practices in Literacy and NFE Programmes - Literacyportal.net

Good Practices in Literacy and NFE Programmes - Literacyportal.net

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Special & Innovative Features of the BRAC Education ProgrammeDur<strong>in</strong>g all its phases, the BEP school component adopted <strong>and</strong> followed a somewhat uniqueapproach, which differs from that of most of other countries. Its salient <strong>in</strong>novative features <strong>in</strong>cludethe development <strong>and</strong> use of creative, <strong>in</strong>novative <strong>and</strong> modern strategies; practical approaches forplann<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> implement<strong>in</strong>g the programme; management of socio-cultural barriers <strong>and</strong> traditional<strong>and</strong> attitud<strong>in</strong>al constra<strong>in</strong>ts through <strong>in</strong>novative approaches <strong>and</strong> community mobilization; effectivetra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g activities <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitution of a needs-based support system for teachers <strong>and</strong> other staff; useof mobile libraries <strong>and</strong> centres for cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g education for the completers of the BEP; <strong>and</strong> a lowcosteducation system. It has achieved a nom<strong>in</strong>al drop-out ratio, which, accord<strong>in</strong>g to BRAC studieshas been only 5% throughout the programme, s<strong>in</strong>ce its <strong>in</strong>ception.On the basis of its success level <strong>and</strong> achievements, this model is considered to have the potentialfor replication <strong>in</strong> other develop<strong>in</strong>g countries, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Pakistan.Challenges & Problems FacedDespite its remarkable achievements, use of <strong>in</strong>novative strategies <strong>and</strong> implementation methods,the BEP has faced a number of problems, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the challenge of prevail<strong>in</strong>g extremecommunity-level poverty, socio-cultural constra<strong>in</strong>ts, biases aga<strong>in</strong>st the education <strong>in</strong>terventionsimplemented, attitud<strong>in</strong>al problems <strong>and</strong> scarcity of the required human <strong>and</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ancial resources tocarry out programmes effectively. However, political will, as well as the use of <strong>in</strong>novative <strong>and</strong>effective strategies, has helped to overcome these considerable challenges.Potential for Susta<strong>in</strong>abilityThrough its achievements <strong>and</strong> strategic use of <strong>in</strong>novation, the BEP has proved itself to be aneffective, susta<strong>in</strong>able programme. It has developed community-based support mechanisms <strong>in</strong>addition to its <strong>in</strong>herent <strong>in</strong>ternal <strong>and</strong> external strengths, which comb<strong>in</strong>e to enable it to survive <strong>and</strong>to make it susta<strong>in</strong>able.Case Study 2: Community Learn<strong>in</strong>g Centres <strong>in</strong> BhutanBackground ContextEducation <strong>in</strong> Bhutan is free. Presently, <strong>in</strong> addition to formal <strong>in</strong>stitutions, there are 375 <strong>NFE</strong>centres with 12,838 non-formal learners across the K<strong>in</strong>gdom. The Government is committed toprovid<strong>in</strong>g community-based cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g education <strong>and</strong> skill tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g. It has recognized the need forestablish<strong>in</strong>g CLCs, both with<strong>in</strong> exist<strong>in</strong>g schools <strong>and</strong> outside formal schools, to achieve at leastone CLC <strong>in</strong> each gewog (block). The national plan for CLCs <strong>in</strong>cludes the strategies <strong>and</strong>procedures for the expansion of these centres, as well as the anticipated role of communities <strong>in</strong>establish<strong>in</strong>g them, <strong>in</strong> order to effectively promote the CLCs as the most useful facilities at thecommunity level for cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g education <strong>and</strong> lifelong learn<strong>in</strong>g to improve the quality of life.The <strong>NFE</strong> programme has three levels: (i) basic literacy for 12 months; (ii) post literacy for 9months; <strong>and</strong> (iii) self learn<strong>in</strong>g, which is part of the cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g education programme. The dem<strong>and</strong>for <strong>NFE</strong> has been <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g over the years, ma<strong>in</strong>ly due to awareness created among localleaders <strong>and</strong> school pr<strong>in</strong>cipals. The target set by the Government is one hundred per cent literacy<strong>in</strong> the national language, Dzongkha, by the year 2012. There are 18 CLCs across the country <strong>in</strong>both rural <strong>and</strong> urban areas, which have been established by UNESCO. Different government <strong>and</strong>non-governmental organizations have also set up a variety of <strong>NFE</strong> programmes at thecommunity level. Additionally, some Buddhist monasteries <strong>and</strong> the Natural Resources Tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>gInstitute (NRTI) organize <strong>NFE</strong> <strong>and</strong> language classes for local people liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the vic<strong>in</strong>ity,to provide not only functional literacy, but also to dissem<strong>in</strong>ate <strong>in</strong>formation, knowledge <strong>and</strong>13

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