The radio and television have proved to be a veritable tool to reach out to the largest number of persons at anytime. In areas where there is no electricity, people use small handheld radio sets powered by batteries. The radio signal reception is possible even in areas where there is no telephone coverage. The British Broadcasting (BBC) radio is a good example of how far and wide a radio signal can get; the BBC radio station is located in London and received in Nigeria and almost everywhere in the world.
The Television may not be readily available everywhere but its penetration is very high and peoples’ access to the television is increasing daily. If you do not own a television, you probably have a neighbour that owns one.
Since the radio and television allows you to transmit different content in varied languages to people; it serves as a tool for passing knowledge to the greater number of people.
We can achieve primary education for all through the use of these electronic media (radio and Television) by putting together programmes to teach various subjects. The programmes will be delivered in local dialects. These radio programmes will be presented in a most entertaining but educative manner. Local folklore and popular religions can be bases for these programmes, folklore that underscores the necessity to be educated.
It is very common to see the uneducated listening to the radio or staring at the television, rapt. Widespread use of the television and most especially the radio may be the result of a deluge of programmes in varied languages.
Printed texts can also be made available, as a text guide for programme through correspondence. These printed texts will serve as teaching aid for the radio programmes when there is need to present concepts in pictures, the presenter can just request the listener to open to a page in the text.
The success of a radio programme in local dialect is sufficiently underscored by the BBC Hausa service which virtually all the Hausas in my area tune in to, regardless of their literacy level. It is common to see people, regardless of age, tune in to programmes in their language. Also, adult education can be achieved.
The television is also a great tool to broadcast knowledge. I recall those days of “Sesame Street”, an edutainment children programme. I am sure an equivalent of “Sesame Street” in a local language will definitely educate a good percentage of people as it helped my literacy level as a child. The use of puppets and cartoon characters can also help to harness the interest of primary school children.
Television sets can be placed in schools and children viewing centres can be established in rural areas for persons of primary school age and adults, willing to learn, to watch all these educative programmes.
Teacher training can also be helped by radio and television programmes. The programmes can serve as refresher courses for the teachers and it could expose them to the latest teaching methodologies.
Teacher training via radio and television could also teach parents how to assist their children and wards with their school work.
Teacher training on the radio has been effective in some African countries; an example is a USAID Teacher training programme via the radio in Mali (http://www.usaid.gov/ml/en/education_TTvR_FIER.html).
In a special case for Nigeria, the teacher training via the radio can help orient National Youth Corp members in the National Youth Service Scheme who are deployed to teach in schools to be better teachers. It is a fact that schools in some parts of Nigeria rely solely on youth corp members for their teaching activities and not every corp member is a trained teacher. With teacher training via radio or television these corp members can pick some skills needed to carry out their teaching assignments successfully.
It is necessary to realise that education is not about getting a certificate like one gets when one goes to school; education is about learning the language and skills to survive in this global village and this education is what this write-up is proposing. Education that goes on even when teachers are on strike, when a region is in crisis and even in simple cases such as when a nomadic cattle herder is tending to the cattle.
Education, primary education or teacher training, via radio and television is boundless knowledge free as air with no impediment. Education via radio and television is knowledge globalization and broadcasting knowledge in a local language is localization of globalization.
The Television may not be readily available everywhere but its penetration is very high and peoples’ access to the television is increasing daily. If you do not own a television, you probably have a neighbour that owns one.
Since the radio and television allows you to transmit different content in varied languages to people; it serves as a tool for passing knowledge to the greater number of people.
We can achieve primary education for all through the use of these electronic media (radio and Television) by putting together programmes to teach various subjects. The programmes will be delivered in local dialects. These radio programmes will be presented in a most entertaining but educative manner. Local folklore and popular religions can be bases for these programmes, folklore that underscores the necessity to be educated.
It is very common to see the uneducated listening to the radio or staring at the television, rapt. Widespread use of the television and most especially the radio may be the result of a deluge of programmes in varied languages.
Printed texts can also be made available, as a text guide for programme through correspondence. These printed texts will serve as teaching aid for the radio programmes when there is need to present concepts in pictures, the presenter can just request the listener to open to a page in the text.
The success of a radio programme in local dialect is sufficiently underscored by the BBC Hausa service which virtually all the Hausas in my area tune in to, regardless of their literacy level. It is common to see people, regardless of age, tune in to programmes in their language. Also, adult education can be achieved.
The television is also a great tool to broadcast knowledge. I recall those days of “Sesame Street”, an edutainment children programme. I am sure an equivalent of “Sesame Street” in a local language will definitely educate a good percentage of people as it helped my literacy level as a child. The use of puppets and cartoon characters can also help to harness the interest of primary school children.
Television sets can be placed in schools and children viewing centres can be established in rural areas for persons of primary school age and adults, willing to learn, to watch all these educative programmes.
Teacher training can also be helped by radio and television programmes. The programmes can serve as refresher courses for the teachers and it could expose them to the latest teaching methodologies.
Teacher training via radio and television could also teach parents how to assist their children and wards with their school work.
Teacher training on the radio has been effective in some African countries; an example is a USAID Teacher training programme via the radio in Mali (http://www.usaid.gov/ml/en/education_TTvR_FIER.html).
In a special case for Nigeria, the teacher training via the radio can help orient National Youth Corp members in the National Youth Service Scheme who are deployed to teach in schools to be better teachers. It is a fact that schools in some parts of Nigeria rely solely on youth corp members for their teaching activities and not every corp member is a trained teacher. With teacher training via radio or television these corp members can pick some skills needed to carry out their teaching assignments successfully.
It is necessary to realise that education is not about getting a certificate like one gets when one goes to school; education is about learning the language and skills to survive in this global village and this education is what this write-up is proposing. Education that goes on even when teachers are on strike, when a region is in crisis and even in simple cases such as when a nomadic cattle herder is tending to the cattle.
Education, primary education or teacher training, via radio and television is boundless knowledge free as air with no impediment. Education via radio and television is knowledge globalization and broadcasting knowledge in a local language is localization of globalization.
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