Development of a Model Training Literacy Personnel in Pakistan

Allama Iqbal Open University is only university, providing Distance and Non-Formal Education for literacy to Ph. D level through distant learning. Distance and Non-Formal Education is a term which covers a range of teaching and learning strategies. Literacy personnel are persons who work in literacy organizations i.e. example, administrators of literacy department, like EDO (literacy), managers running the NGOs for the improvement of literacy, the supervisors who supervise of adult literacy centres and functional literacy centre, instructors teaching at the adult and basic education centres established by NGOs. Training of personnel is an area which is concerned with the provision of skills, knowledge and one ability to cope with one environmental needs. It is a way for the development, implementation, evaluation and maintenance of situations. Training of personnel facilitates the learning of individuals as well as groups. This study was undertaken with the objectives i.e. to analyse the concept of model, to discuss model for the literacy personnel, to examine the existing arrangement of literacy personnel and to develop the model for the training of literacy personnel. To make the training of literacy personnel systemic a lot of related literature was discussed. Training of literacy personnel in the different countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand were taken into account. Provision of training in the light of educational policies, five years plans and economic surveys were embossed. Models for the training of literacy personnel were also thrashed out. After the study of related literature, five questionnaires which were (1) Questionnaire for Academic Staff of Faculty of Education of Allama Iqbal Open University (Annex-1) (2) Questionnaire for EDOs (Literacy) (Annex-2) (3) questionnaire for managers of NGOs (Annex-3) (4) questionnaire for supervisors of NGOs(Annex-4) and (5) questionnaire for instructors of NGOs (Annex-5) on likertscale, tried out and administrated. Questionnaire for Academic Staff of Faculty of Education of Allama Iqbal Open University was administered to twenty two academicians of AIOU, out of which eighteen responded. Questionnaire for EDOs (Literacy) was administered to thirty four administrators (EDOs Literacy), out of which twenty eight responded. Questionnaire for managers of NGOs was distributed to one hundred and seventy five managers out of which one hundred and eleven responded, questionnaire for supervisors of NGOs was administered to one hundred ninety five supervisors one hundred fifty three were responded and questionnaire for instructors of NGOs was administered to four hundred and fifty five instructors/teachers of NGOs out of which three hundred and eighty seven were responded. Data calculated was tabulated and analysed by using percentage, mean score and median. Major findings of the questionnaire were somewhat like:- a. Questionnaire for Academic Staff of Faculty of Education AIOU (annex-1) Literacy personnel are competent: to motivate learners, set the aim and objectives of the course and potential to identify the resources. b. Questionnaire for the administrators EDOs (annex-2) EDOs contribute to overall literacy centres, provision guidance to adult instructors/supervisors is there to overcome the conflict among workers. c. Questionnaire for managers (annex-3) Managers are organizers of literacy programme, they provide training to literacy personnel and use multiple modes for the improvement of the literacy centres. d. Questionnaire for supervisors (annex-4) Supervisors identify the problems faced by the instructors, check the literacy centres and report progress to the higher authority. e. Questionnaire of instructors (annex-5) Supervisors are aware of andragogical teaching, maintain students profile and record. The study concluded that learners have positive attitude, teaching aids are utilized, audio-visual aids are used in literacy centres and literacy personnel create interest among learners. Literacy centres are also being provided with free books. Basing on the conclusions, recommendations were made, and models for the training of administrators (EDOs Literacy), managers, supervisors and instructors are proposed.