Case Study: Media
Since 2003, Media Support Solutions has provided almost daily radio programmes in the local Pashto and Dari languages on teacher training methodologies for an estimated 140,000 primary school teachers in the country. Funded by USAID, this has been in partnership with Creative Associates International and a number of local NGOs who have been working on accelerated learning intensive teacher training on the ground.
A particular challenge in the early days was creating a radio-based curriculum in line with that taught by record numbers of children flooding into the schools after the Taliban period, but which could be absorbed by listeners without supplementary print materials. Research (summary of APEP evaluation surveys) showed that ideas were being conveyed and having an influence in the classroom, and that many children were themselves listening. These programmes filled an important gap in knowledge at a time when teachers were often untrained, lacked materials and were greatly overworked. How to use locally available materials as teaching aids was one tip that was widely taken on board.
In a successor project, Building Educational Support Systems for Teachers (BESST), the media’s role has been to reinforce short in-service teacher training courses on the ground. Radio programmes continue on a daily basis, while a series of new video programmes demonstrate best classroom practice. There are also plans to adapt programmes to a more interactive format for use in learning circles which BESST is establishing for peer education amongst teachers.
MSS, working through its local affiliate
