DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAMMES
 

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SELF-LEARNING MATERIALS FOR PRIMARY LEVEL NFE PROGRAMME

In 1990-91 the department in its endeavour to strengthen qualitative components of the NFE programme initiated a series of self-learning teaching-learning materials. The main focus of the programme was to design a set of innovative materials to facilitate the NFE Instructors in handling multi-ability group in diverse teaching-learning situations.

It was planned that the materials should include twenty-two Coloured charts, eight comic books and two textual materials in book form. The themes covered the entire course for NFE semesters II to IV (equivalent to grades III & IV) in an integrated manner. The topics and themes were culled out from the formal school curriculum through qualitative integration of various themes and topics.

These were planned as prototype exemplar materials. The books for semester-I were earlier developed by the NFE Unit of Department of Pre-school and Elementary Education.

The above series provided examples to the States and Voluntary Organisations in the development of innovative materials in identified themes.

These materials were developed and revised by involving a large number of class room practitioners and subject experts and teacher educators. These books provided rich materials which had the potentiality to organise a variety of interesting activities in the teaching-learning process and involve the learners in the self-study activities. The materials were designed in a way so as to help the Instructor to organise a variety of group activities for enhancement of learner participation in the teaching-learning process.

INTEGRATED TEACHING-LEARNING MATERIAL SERIES BASED ON MLLs

During 1989-90, the department took up a research project to study the NFE curriculum and instructional materials of eleven States.

The main objectives of the study were to make a rational analysis of the curriculum and instructional materials as well as to identify the transactional strategies adopted at the classroom level. The analysis revealed that while a variety of approaches were adopted in the development of curriculum and instructional

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materials, there was wide divergence in quantity and quality among the States and Voluntary Organisations. Moreover, at the transaction level there was significant difference in the levels of performance of the Instructors. In 1990-91 the MHRD issued a document laying down the Levels of Learning at the Primary Stage.

The MLL approach to curriculum and material development aimed at quality control. There was a shift from content to competency based approach. The learning process was to be geared to facilitate attainment of MLLs by all learners specified for different formal schools and grades in NFE semesters.

In response to this the States and Voluntary Organisations took up the tasks of curriculum and instructional material renewal as well as development of MLL based teaching-learning materials.

In this regard the States and Voluntary Organisations were in need of academic support from the NCERT. To meet this felt need, the department took up a programme during 1991-92 for the development of a series of MLL based integrated teaching-learning materials for the Primary stage of NFE.

The project was sponsored by the Department of Education, MHRD under its specific grant.

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The main focus of the project was to develop a complete set of integrated and graded teaching-learning materials in Hindi. Accordingly the department re-arranged the MLLs specified for the five grades of Formal School to conform to the four semesters of Primary level NFE course. Twleve books in Hindi were designed under the series 'Milkar Sheekhein' covering all the MLLs specified for the Primary stage of education. For each semester three books, one each in Language, Mathematics and Environmental Studies (EVS), were planned.

The books were designed adopting an innovative format. Each book contained three essential components, namely aspects of Teacher Guide, Textual Material in lesson form and Exercises in the form of a Work Book.

Each lesson was preceded by notes for the Instructor regarding highlights of the lesson, specific MLLs covered, transactional strategies, special points of attention, the instruction about handling of exercises/activities, assignments, etc. The second part, that is the textual portion, was smaller in size. The vocabulary and sentence patterns were carefully controlled with an inbuilt mechanism for repetition in newer contexts. The third part of each lesson covered questions, activities and other interesting assignments. After every cluster of lessons a Unit Test was given with specific instructions about procedural details and remedial aspects.

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Some of the special features of the books developed under the series are:

- these are integrated teaching-learning materials wherein contents were woven in and around day-to-day activities and environmental situations of the learners;

- the lessons reflect different child-centred and participa- tory teaching-learning process providing opportunities for group learning situations;

- the vocabulary is drawn from learner's day-to-day oral transaction situations;

- the lessons emphasize attainment of skills, such as observation, analysis, comparison of situations, collection of information from various sources;

- the concepts, principles, events are concretised through intensive use of appropriate visuals;

- there is an inbuilt mechanism for reinforcement of learning and attainment of competencies at the mastery level;

- a variety of play-way and other type of practical activities are included which are popular with children and facilitate their learning.

The books were tried-out at every stage. The feed-back data provided rich experience for refinement of lessons.

Out of the twelve books, seven are already in use in various organisations of Rajasthan, U.P. and Delhi. Five books are under print.

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The books have been well received by the States. In DPEP and other States there is a demand for adaptation and adaptation of these books. The department has received such demands from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, U.P., Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The department extended its academic assistance to these States for the development of MLL based instructional packages.

NFE TEACHING-LEARNING MATERIALS IN KANNADA

The Total Literacy Campaign has gained momentum in the States and Union Territories. NFE has emerged as the most sustainable component of the TLC programme. It has generated a great demand for suitable quality material for its TLC and post-literacy (PLC) stages. In 1993- 94, on request from the Department of Mass Education and the Directorate of School Education, Research and Training (DSERT), Karnataka, the department helped the State in developing eight books based on MLLs. These materials were designed as per the format of Hindi series. The books under the series were developed involving subject specialists, classroom practitioners, linguists and teacher educators. Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore also joined the department in this endeavour.

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These books are being widely used in different Districts of the State. The efficacy of these books was evident from the attainment of competencies by learners even before the specified period. Another outcome of the programme was that a Resource Team of Writers was created whose services are used in organising training programmes from time to time by various Government and voluntary Organisations of the State. The team members, besides participating in material development programmes, were oriented in the modalities of National Training Programme for NFE functionaries.

MLL BASED NFE TEACHING-LEARNING MATERIALS IN REGIONAL LANGUAGES

The Government policy lays special emphasis on the Voluntary Organisations for evolving innovative designs for effective implementation of the Centrally sponsored NFE Scheme.

There is a large number of Voluntary Organisations in the country who have taken the lead in the development of environment-based and area-based teaching-learning materials and teaching-learning processes. Some of these organisations, in their endeavour to renew their instructional materials, requested the department in providing academic guidance in the material preparation work.

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In response to this the department organised Working Group Meetings for review and finalisation of five primers developed by three leading organisations of Bihar, Rajasthan and West Bengal, namely Samanvaya Ashram, Bodhgaya; Gandhi Vidya Mandir, Sardarshahar, Rajasthan; and Indian Association of Adult Education, West Bengal branch. In this process the concerned organisations were oriented in the latest trends in MLL-based materials development process. The organisations, in their turn, are now engaged in orienting their faculty members in the refinement and try-out of these materials in their own specific teaching-learning situations. The department has received similar requests from a number of organisations from various States and Voluntary Organisations.

LEARNER-SPECIFIC MATERIALS FOR STREET AND WORKING CHILDREN

Designing Educational Programmes for Street and Working Children is one of the critical areas of curriculum concern in the country. Based on the philosophies and focus of various organisations both at the Government and NGO levels a number of strategies were adopted. Consequently, a variety of materials were developed under different educational designs.

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An analysis of the existing materials point to the need for development of specially designed material for meeting the learning needs of specific learner groups. The programme aims at meeting the above need in this area.

The specific objectives of the project are to:

- analyse the existing learning and support materials developed under Government and Voluntary Organisations for Education of Street and Working Children;

- identify the gap areas ;

- prepare specially designed materials for meeting the learning needs of specific groups of learners.

The Department is currently engaged in classifying the major skills into sub-skills with relation to various occupations and development of a set of instructional materials in and around those skills. In this respect the department is collaborating with some leading Voluntary Organisations who have rich experience of working for the education of street and-working children.

During 1995-1996 the department planned to prepare a set of sample learner-specific skill based materials for meeting the learning needs of these special categories of 'learners. For this networking with Vocational and Technical education experts, Open School Organisation, ILO as well as leading Voluntary Organisations was effected.

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As an outcome of the project a set of guidelines for the development of skill based learner-specific materials were evolved. The work in this direction has already been initiated. General and core skills have been identified. The development of learner-specific skill oriented instructional package related to different occupational groups in the urban and rural set-up is in progress.

Local Specific Supplementary Materials for NFE Programme

The NFE children get very limited exposure with regard to teaching-learning mateials. In some pockets the text-books are the only reading materials before them. Being working children, the learners come to NFE centre after day's hard work. The NFE approach lays special emphasis in providing a congenial and joyful learning climate in the classroom. The local specific material series were planned to meet this gap areas.

During 1992-93 the department made special intervention in this regard for the development of a series of supplementary reading materials based on local specific materials in the form of stories, games, riddles, jokes and-anecdotes, proverbs loaded with messages, poems and songs popularly sung during festivals and celebrations.

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The department organised four regional level planning meetings to explore the various types of local specific materials available in different cultural settings and linguistic groups. In this regard a set of criteria and tools were developed for identification, collection, classification, scrutiny and refinement of local specific materials from different sources. In the planning meetings the modalities and available sources were identified and the tools finalised. In this task a large number of faculty members from District Resource Units, DIETs, NFE Instructors, Primary School Teachers, Project officers, Supervisors, Teacher Educators and the SCERT Faculty members were oriented in the processes of identification and development of local specific materials.

In the next stage the department converted the selected materials into small booklets in Hindi. The large amount of materials collected from different sources were classified, categorised on the basis of the criteria laid down for this. The materials were scrutinised, selected and modified. These were presented in the form of small books. In all there are a set of six books on games, stories, songs and poems, proverbs, riddles and jokes.

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Similar sets of books were developed with the help of materials collected from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala.

The six Hindi booklets are under print. Each book contains a detailed note about the use of these materials in the transactional process for enhancing learner participation in the teaching-learning activities.

The project work provided good opportunity to the States and Voluntary Organisations in the collection of a rich resource material. The project work evinced keen interest among the functionaries of different organisations both at the Government and Voluntary Organisation levels for generating a rich resource-base through collection of local specific materials from different sources. States like Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh have developed a series of local specific materials on the basis of cultural components of their own States. These States have made experimentation in the use of these materials in the teaching-learning process in various group- learning situations. Some of the Primers developed by these organisations have integrated the local specific components in a creative way.

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SUPPLEMENTARY READING MATERIALS FOR PROMOTION OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INTEGRATION.

NFE learners belong to socially and educationally deprived communities. There is little scope for getting experiences in Education for social and emotional integration. To meet this gap area the department took-up a project in 1989-1990 for the development of supplementary reading materials pertaining to this area. In this connection the department reviewed the available supplementary reading materials that promote the values of social, emotional and national integration. The analysis helped the department in identifying seven potential themes.

The department made a plan to prepare a set of materials on the selected themes as Supplementary Readers for NFE learners.

The department has slated for 1996-97 two programmes for the development of series of Supplementary Materials for the NFE learners. The first project aims at preparation of supplementary materials for reinforcement of comprehension skills in the learners. The second programme has as its target development of supplementary materials in Mathematics for generating motivational and joyful learning process in the NFE centre.

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These materials are expected to facilitate the Instructors to ensure better participation of learners in the teaching-learning process through use of familiar socioeconomic environmental situations.

TRAINING MANUAL FOR NFE FUNCTIONARIES

One of the significant responsibilities of the department is upgradation of capabilities of NFE functionaries at various levels. The department during its initial year of 1988 identified training of functionaries as one of its priority areas. The basis of training at all levels was interaction on the issues covered under various chapters of the Instructor's Manual.

At the outset the department evolved a specially designed training package. It contained four manuals. Of these the Instructor's Manual is the core one around which all other manuals namely, Project Officer's, Supervisor's and Key-Person's manuals were built.

The department, through a series of discussion sessions, developed the Instructor's Manual in Hindi. This was developed in a modular form. The various chapters were well integrated with each other. At the same time there was an element of flexi-

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bility. Each chapter was a self-contained unit and presented in terms of issues related to day-to-day responsibilities and functions of the NFE Instructors working in various settings. The entire Manual was written in a very simple language that would be easily understandable by NFE Instructors even with limited background.

The chapters covered in the Instructor's Manual include issues related to the following areas :

1. role and functions of NFE Instructors viz-a-viz that of formal school teachers;