Teachers interact with radio in Nepal.
Sedlak Pa · PubMed · 1987
The Nepal Radio Education Teacher Training Project (RETT) is an interactive program for upgrading underqualified primary school teachers, 27% of whom lack the 10th grade school leaving certificate. Nepal is so mountainous that reaching rural areas is too expensive to train teachers effectively. This program uses curriculum principles such as systematic planning, distributed learning, cyclical instruction, and radio techniques such as intensive broadcasting, interactive learning, immediate reinforcement and an engaging instructional pace for this adult audience. With the help of USAID, Radio Nepal operates a 100,000 watt shortwave transmitter from a studio in suburban Kathmandu. As of August 1980, 5593 teachers from 72 of 75 districts have enrolled, and 2944 have been certified. The 1st phase of the program taught Nepali, mathematics, social studies, health, physical education and art. The 2nd phase emphasizes the content taught in years 7-10, added English, mathematics, science and Nepali. There are major differences in this interactive program compared to those instituted in Kenya, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Thailand, with young audiences. These adults are teachers, unmonitored, individual listeners, in a home setting, usually studying in the evenings in competition with other radio programming, and learning secondary school subject matter. In contrast, prior programs elsewhere have had captive children in primary school monitored by teachers. Incentives are being provided to keep teachers in the courses, such as discounted radios, job security, pay increments and certification. The use of repetition and rapid feedback inherent in interactive radio programming helps to meet the challenges in voluntary participation.