TRAINING ACTIVITIES
8
TRAINING OF NFE FUNCTIONARIES
THE TRAINING SCENARIO : In pursuance of its basic role as a National Resource Centre for NFE, the department reviewed in the beginning months of 1988 the status of NFE training programmes in vogue in the States and Voluntary Organisations.
The training scenario was far from satisfactory. There was little linkage between the training programmes organised at different levels. These programmes were not effective in equipping the Instructors and other Functionaries for effectively performing their roles and day-to-day responsibilities.
TRAINING MODALITIES This called for evolving a National design for training of NFE functionaries as a re-current programme for upgradation of competencies.
In mid-1988, the department planned the operational modalities for the training of three thousand NFE Project officers and through them three lakh NFE Instructors within a stipulated period of six months.
The first step of the strategy was to build up a core team of Key Resource Persons (KRPS) in nine educationally backward States who would function as Master Trainers. The tenth State, namely Arunachal Pradesh did not have any infrastructure for NFE at that stage.
In the Action Plan the roles and functions of the Key Resource Persons (KRPS) at different stages of training programme were spelt out in operational terms.
The second level of training was to be organised for the Project Officers by the KRPS under direct academic assistance from NFE faculty of NCERT.
At the third level, the responsibility of training of NFE Supervisors and Instructors was entrusted to the concerned Project officers. At this level, the KRPS would provide academic support to the Project Officers in planning, organising group discussions, demonstrating transactional strategies and in analysing instructional materials in use in NFE centres. While KRPS and Project Officers as Resource Persons had the direct responsibility for imparting training at the Project, level, the NFE department had supervisory role by way of monitoring and overseeing the programmes. For this purpose the NFE faculty made field visits and held discussion sessions from time to time.
10
PARTICIPATORY AND PROCESS-BASED TRAINING MODE : It was envisaged that all training courses would be process-based and transacted in concerned regional languages.
In order to provide opportunities for intensive interaction among the trainees each course would be conducted in batches of 20-25 Project Officers. They would be divided in smaller groups consisting of five to six POs. Each group would be guided by one KRP. The overall responsibilities of co-ordination would remain with the NCERT- NFE faculty. The NFE faculty members were made incharges of specific states for overseeing the State NFE programme.
BASIC COMPONENTS OF TRAINING: At all levels the training programme would have the following basic components
(a) Study of Manuals
(b) Discussion in small groups about the issues emerging from the ideas reflected in the twelve chapters of Instructors Manual
-11-
(c) Working out assignments and practical activities in groups as well as in individual capacity, e.g. preparation of lists of local games, analysis of instructional materials,
slogan writing, preparation of teaching aids, identification of local level Resource Persons, etc.
(d) Observing demonstration lessons in the live NFE Centres and taking some lessons in the selected NFE Centres, etc.
(e) Interacting with colleagues for sharing of experiences with regard to available materials and academic resources for mutual benefit
(f) Evolving alternative strategies for solving problems faced, and the like.
-12-
TRAINING DURATION The duration of training of different functionaries would be as under :
DURATION OF TRAINING/ORIENTATION COURSES
LEVELS OF FUNCTIONARY DURATION
a) Foundation Programme for
Key Resource Persons 5 Days
b) Training of Project Officers 5 Days
c) Training of Supervisors 10 Days
d) Training of Instructors 12 Days
Besides the first cycle of training, the Instructors would be trained through second and third cycles as well. The second cycle would be for 10 days and the third for 8 days.
Along with this, the practice of one-day Cluster Meeting and on- the-spot guidance at the NFE centre by the Supervisors and Project Officers was to be continued. The District Level NFE Officers would extend resource support on continual basis for upgradation of competencies of Instructors and supervisors.
-13-
FIFTY DAYS TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR INSTRUCTORS The department also worked out modalities for training of NFE Instructors during the first and second year of joining programme.
According to the schedule each Instructor during the first year would receive training for a total period of 30 days in different spells. The first spell would be of 12 days duration. This would be followed by two more cycles of training each of 10 and 8 days duration respectively.
The first course would be in the form of a Foundation Course and would be process-based. During this period every Instructor would be equipped with the competencies for handling learning activities for Semester I of NFE programme. He/She would also be acquainted with the content of Semester I course and helped in organising a variety of joyful activities in the NFE centre.
In the consecutive two courses the Instructors would be provided competencies for handling learning activities covered under Semesters II, III and IV. In the third course of the first year, special focus would be on the strategies and activities for evaluation of pupil attainment in different learning areas as well as in non-cognitive dimensions.
-14-
The second and third courses would be closely linked with the field experiences gained by the Instructors after the completion of twelve days initial course. In all the courses methodology based on demonstrations in the NFE centres and exposure to different content areas would get special attention.
In the second year the training programme would be provided through two courses each of 10 days' duration. During these two courses methodologies for content teaching would get special emphasis and this would be based on field experiences of the Instructors and feed-back from the field. These courses would be closely linked with the first year's training modalities.
QUALITY CONTROL OF TRAINING PROGRAMME To ensure quality control for effective implementation of National Training design three major steps were taken by the Department. These were :
a) preparation of a process-based specially designed Training Manual in Hindi for NFE Instructors.
b) development of Supervisor's, Project Officer's, and Key Resource Person's Manuals based on Instructor's Manual. All manuals were translated into twelve regional languages
-15-
c) orientation of team of experts from each State to equip them with the required competencies for effective functioning as a Key-Resource Persons.
Having completed the preparatory tasks, the department provided intensive orientation courses to the KRPS. This was followed by one- day Planning Meetings in All the nine States for the Course Directors, KRPs and State Officials. In this Meeting detailed work schedules, assignment of responsibilities, etc. were worked out for conducting the training courses for the Instructors and Supervisors of the respective States.
Each training programme was conducted by a team of five KRPs and one NCERT - NFE faculty member as the Co-ordinator. In each State training programmes were held on simultaneous dates in different districts. This resulted in completion of massive a training programme in the six States within a record time of five months.
The Table and the Graph below indicates the coverage of personnel trained during the initial years of launching the training programmes.
-16-
POSITION OF TRAINING DURING 1989-90
S.No. STATE CATEGORY AND NUMBER TRAINED
KRPs POs
1. ANDHRA PRADESH 30 250
2. ASSAM 17 139
3. BIHAR 52 313
4. JAMMU & KASHMIR 17 80
5. MADHYA PRADESH 25 291
6. ORISSA 19 71
7. RAJASTHAN 11 160
8. UTTAR PRADESH 79 312
9. WEST BENGAL 12 -
10. MANIPUR 25 31
TOTAL 288 1,647
-17-
18
REFRESHER COURSES FOR KRPS The Resource Teams created in the States through the first and second level training programmes helped in organising practical activity-based training programmes for the Facilitators of NFE centres on a continuous basis.
As a result of these training programmes at three levels, the States were equipped with the necessary reosurce support for effective implementation of the NFE programme for out-of-school and non-schooled children. The enrolment and retention figure in the NFE centres in the participating States indicate that the training programmes made a tangible impact on plans for universalisation of Primary Education.
The States gained rich experiences while conducting these training programme. At this stage the department took up a number of activities which helped the States in identifying the crucial issues related to implementation of Centrally Sponsored NFE Scheme.
A need was felt to provide opportunities to the KRPs to share experiences about the training programmes organised at different levels and the problems faced at the grass-roots level.
-19-
The department, therefore, launched from 1990 onwards a regular programme of Refresher courses for all the KRPs within a state. These courses were mostly held State-wise. The sharing of experiences and discussion on vital issues helped in working out alternative strategies for the participating States.
The Refresher Courses over the years became very popular as these had provided the KRPs with functional skills for meeting the challenges of Education for All. To give wider exposure to the KRPs, the department utilised their services in Training Programmes organised outside the State/Uts. For example, the KRPs of Assam and orissa were deployed in West Bengal Training Programmes, the services of KRPs of U.P., Bihar were utilised in Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Similarly, the services of KRPs of Southern States were utilised in the training programme held at Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Currently the department is-engaged in formulating a series of Refresher Courses for KRPs keeping in view the recommendations of MHRD - Sponsored National Seminars on NFE being organised by different States.
20
Organisation of training programmes for NFE functionaries continued to be one of the significant areas of intervention of the department throughout these years (1988-1996).
During 1988 to 1995 the department, on request from the States, organised a series of training programmes for the KRPs and Project Officers. This became necessary due to the expansion of NFE projects in these States. From 1993 onwards additional batches of KRPs from Bihar and MP were given orientation. In U.P. and Assam also more KRPs were oriented during 1995.
Over the years the department extended its operational areas from the ten educationally backward States to other States as well. Because the MHRD sanctioned some NFE projects for some pockets of these States (e.g. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu etc.)
21
The position of training of different NFE Functionaries from 1989 to 1995 was as under :
STATUS OF TRAINING FROM 1989 TO 1995
S.NO. CATEGORY NUMBER
1. KEY RESOURCE PERSONS 1,300
2. PROJECT OFFICERS 2,700
3. SUPERVISORS 27,000
4. NFE INSTRUCTORS 2,70,000
TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR FUNCTIONARIES FROM VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS
The department as a National Resource Centre organises regularly specially designed training programmes for the functionaries from various voluntary organisations who are receiving grants from MHRD. The details about the training programmes organised for the functionaries of voluntary organisations during 1988-1996 appear elsewhere under the title "Generating Resources in Voluntary Organisations and State Levels
22
TRAINING OF NFE FACULTY IN SCERTs The emerging developments in Primary Education during 1990s added newer dimensions to the training responsibilities of the department.
During this period special emphasis was laid on SCERTs/SIEs and State Resource centres for providing leadership in strengthening State NFE programmes. Another major function envisaged for these organisations was related to creating a resource base at the district level by giving academic assistance to the District Resource Units located within and outside the DIETs.
The Total Literacy Campaign (TLC) activities was another area of concern for the SCERTs and SRCs. In the SIEs/SCERTs a small NFE Unit was created for nurturing State NFE project implementation strategies. The number of NFE faculty in SCERTs of different States ranged from two to four consultants.
With a view to build up capabilities of NFE Units of SCERTs, the department mounted in 1991-92 a specially designed orientation programme for the SCERT faculty members. A training course of five days' duration was evolved for exposing them in the direction of new trends and strategies of the NFE programme. They were also imparted necessary skills for effectively perform-
- 23-
ing their roles in the context of creating a data base at the State level, planning training programmes, guiding in curriculum and material development activities and evolving effective monitoring strategies.
With the launching of DPEP microplanning approach based programmes, the SCERTs are now poised to tackle the issues of convergence among State-run NFE programmes and the NFE programmes organised in DPEP Districts of the State. In 1994-1995 the department organised a Planning Meeting for the SCERT faculty members inclusing Directors to reflect on these issues. The department plans to open an ongoing dialogue in this direction. By 1995 the number of SCERT-NFE faculty members oriented by the department was 95.
TRAINING OF DRU FACULTY MEMBERS FROM DIETs VAs The District Resource Units (DRUs) in DIETs were in operation since 1991-92. During this period the training responsibility of NFE Instructors and Supervisors at the District level was ,shifted from Project Officers to DRU faculty. Moreover, the DRUs were envisaged as the district level nodal agencies for NFE curriculum renewal, development of local specific materials, upgradation of data-base and experimentation in NFE methodologies through 'Lab Areas', MLL based approach to teaching-learning in NFE, etc.
-24-
In response to this emerging situation, the department initiated from 1991-92 a training design for arming the DRU faculty with desired competencies and exposure. This was also a five-day training programme. The department adopted alternative strategies for this. Some of the courses were organised on regional basis while at times it also organised State-wise orientation programmes. In order to ensure quality of training the department in collaboration with the Directorate of Adult Education, New Delhi, prepared in 1990 a Manual in Hindi for DRU faculty. It was translated in eight regional languages, namely, Assamese, Oriya, Telugu, Tamil, Malyalam, Kannada, Marathi and Punjabi. All the training programmes were organised in and around the basic issues reflected in the Manual which were of immediate concern to the DRU faculty.