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ICT Training for People in the Village (Bulgaria)
One of the identified target groups that need additional efforts for basic education courses is the group of people living in smaller or remote area where no educational centres or offers exist. The group consists if people aged 18-60. Usually they are unemployed or are seasonal workers. Typically this group is among the poorest in Bulgaria. The main reason they don’t attend educational courses is that there are no educational institutions that provide opportunities in proximity of the places they live. To travel to the bigger city where there are educational offers is time consuming and expensive, especially having in mind that there are rarely free courses. It is estimated that in the region there are approximately 1500 people living in small settlements that have no or low basic education and experience difficulties to attend regular courses. The use of online options for education or combination of online and offline methods would be appropriate as the group is quite spread geographically. The motivation of the group to learn is high, especially if the education is free of charge. The older generation (40+) are able to write and read, but they predominantly have a lack of computer literacy skills, the younger generation (18-40) is better in ICT, but lack reading and writing skills and usually is in the group of the functional illiterates. The risks when working with this group is the seasonal employment, especially in agriculture that could be an obstacle to regularly attend the lessons. The advantages to work in smaller settlements is that:
Knowledge Association has selected the village of Bohot and the school “Anton Strashimirov” to partner the course, because recently the school has hosted the training of people from the village (part of the target group) in the frame of the literacy Programme “New Chance for Success”. During the final evaluation the participants have shared that they lack knowledge on ICT.
HISTORY The initial idea was to organise a training course on basic ICT – a non-formal training with free agenda. After the TNA and the discussion with the principal and teachers from the school it was agreed to update the existing curriculum for the vocational training ICT offered by VET “Knowledge”. The advantages are that the participants who would meet the requirements would get an official recognized certificate for Vocational training. The disadvantages would be the level of the program could be too difficult to some participants and there is a risk for dropping out. The curriculum was adjusted and the training experts and the educator proposed activities and methods that suited the level of understanding of the participants.
INNOVATION The existing offers for ICT courses adapted for lower educated people (especially for Roma) are rare and non-existing in the Northwest region in Bulgaria. It is not usual to provide basic education in small settlements, especially tailor made for the needs of the participants. The high illiteracy rate among Roma people is partially due to the fact that the educational programmes and methods are not adequate for their needs and learning abilities. Often, a very different approach would be needed and the learning success depend to a high extend to the motivation to learn and the positive attitude toward learning.
TARGET GROUP The participants are 10 Roma people living in the village of Bohot with primary or basic education, aged 26 to 55, unemployed, except one person working as educational mediator (supporting the education of Roma children). There are no adult educational offers (especially for ICT) in the village and the closest city there are educational courses lays 20 km away. Another identified need is the simplicity and clarity of the materials and teaching. The trainer and co-trainer have experience in working with Romani low educated people, in addition, the trainer have regular contacts with some of the participants as parents of former or current students at the school. There is also the need to learn in a homogenous group where the Roma people feel much more secure and motivated to learn.
CONTACTING & MOTIVATING PARTICIPANTS In the village of Bohot there are no offers for adult education and yet the primary school has applied to organize literacy courses for people without primary or basic education. The participants have been selected among the group that recently passed the exam and got their diploma for basic education. One of the advantages of choosing this recruitment approach is that the participants were still in “education mode”. The process to reach out participants was facilitated by the educational moderator. In Bulgaria here is a network of health moderators (Roma people who work within Roma communities to improve the health and living conditions of the Roma) and now there are efforts to introduce educational moderator – again Roma people who enhance the education of people in the Roma community. The educational moderator in Bohot has contacted the potential participants providing more information about the goals, activities, and methods of the course. It was easy to motivate the participants because the need for computer literacy skills was identified while studying for the primary basic exam.
THE LEARNING & TEACHING 40 hours – 10 sessions /four hours each. The teaching methods were designed in order to facilitate the learning process – simple explanations and tasks, practical exercises. Some of the used methods:
Part of the training course is dedicated to practical module where the participants search information, access online database or search engines, open an e-mail account and send and receive messages. This is very useful because, except one, all the participants have been unemployed.
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