Good Practices in Literacy and NFE Programmes - Literacyportal.net

(VLTs) are volunteers recruited by the CLC MC. They receive pre-service training plus in-servicerefresher training, based on APPEAL training materials. CLCs may require other types of resourcepersons, such as experts in traditional medicine, agriculture, traditional music and dance, and localhandicraft, a veterinary or specialists in handloom weaving who can help in holding skills trainingsessions. The philosophy for teacher training was based on learner-centred methods, which is vitalfor the adult learners. The VLT is responsible for assessing the learners’ achievements byobservation and by tests. The CLCs are multi-functional and an important strength is the explicit linksmade between education (literacy, post-literacy, NFPE), skills training, dissemination of informationand income-generating activities. CLCs have helped improve education and income opportunities,which have direct positive effects, both cultural and economic, on the quality of life, besidesgenerating increased levels of confidence, coherence and collaboration in the target villages. Womenhave particularly benefited, since their level of literacy is typically lower than that of men.Special & Innovative FeaturesThe implementation of the CLC component followed a rather unique approach, which differedfrom that of most other countries. One of the key persons in this structure was the CommunityLearning Coordinator (CLCo), who was the link between the education project, the public sectorand the communities via the Community Learning Organizer (CLO) and the CLC ManagementCommittee (CLC MC). The CLCo carries out a multitude of tasks including assisting in capacitybuilding of the CLCs; planning, organizing and monitoring NFE and NFPE activities, skill trainingfor learners; income generating activities carried out by the communities; and record keeping,supervision and monitoring of CLC activities, as well as reporting back to the zonal specialist andthe Assistant Programme Manager (APM).Challenges & Problems FacedMajor problems faced include: those of catering to an increasing number of school-going-age andout-of-school children, through NFE and CLC models; increasing the coverage rate; reaching outthe very poorest communities; addressing increasing demand; addressing a variety of sustainabilityissues; motivation of beneficiaries; the need for flexibility of activities; providing skill training, lifeskills; issues of language diversity; financial sustainability; networking and partnerships; curriculumand material development; and availability of public sector support for future initiatives.Potential for SustainabilitySustainability is being enhanced through supportive community initiatives; the use of volunteerismas well as of new methods of teaching and leaning in addition to conventional lecturing, such as theuse of puppets, storytelling, games, as well as practical work with projects and drawings.Case Study 10: Community Learning Centres, NepalBackground ContextIn Nepal, CLCs are a recent phenomenon. The Government's 10th Five-Year Plan includedCLCs as a key strategy for adult literacy and continuing education, to provide access tolife skills and appropriate learning and life skills implementation opportunities; makingCLCs more accessible to people with disabilities; and encouraging CLCs to use theexperience of older people and providing them with opportunities to learn and interact withothers. The programmes conducted at CLCs include education, income generation, women’sdevelopment, life skills training, literacy, early childhood development (ECD), library services,savings and credit, community forestry, preservation of the cultural heritage, and communitydevelopment. One of the objectives of the CLC concept is to enable communities to participatedirectly in planning, implementing, evaluating and analyzing their needs and interests, and22