66 rural schools have joined in an interactive radio program that engages students in the learning process

Photo: Research Triangle Institute

"Teachers, students, and the radio programs work together to make learning fast-paced and interesting."

-- Sarwat M. Alam, the Interactive Radio Instruction leader for USAID's Education Sector Reform Assistance (ESRA) program

"I am now convinced that technology, even low-cost, can do wonders!"

-- Fatima, a participating teacher at Girls Primary School, Sanjalian

"When [USAID] started training in Interactive Radio Instruction (IRI), I was worried. Training usually speaks about the use of audio-visual aids, but in real classroom situations teachers usually have minimum resources," Fatima, a first grade teacher at the Girls Primary School in Sanjalian, observed. "But now I have received the equipment and more. … I am really pleased with how well my students are learning."

USAID recently launched the "Time for English" series, a new interactive radio program to advance English-language lessons for grades 1 and 2 primary students. The series, which includes102 half-hour taped lessons based on the national curriculum, actively involves students in the learning process with games as well as group and individual activities, all guided in the classroom by the teacher. USAID has also provided teacher training to 132 teachers and provided guides and educational posters. The program is now running in 66 rural schools of the Federal Directorate of Education.

"Teachers feel that students look forward to the radio programs because they get to participate," explained Sarwat M. Alam, who leads the activity for USAID. "Teachers, students, and the radio programs work together to make learning fast-paced and interesting. In fact, some teachers report that they use methods from the radio program to actively engage their students in other subjects."

Already, students using the radio programs showed gains of 89 percent in speaking and 66 percent in comprehension when compared to a control group of students who learned English under the current methods, according to an intensive evaluation of the pilot series last year.

"While there may not be quick fixes to a problem that has compounded over decades, IRI seems to show much promise," explained Nasreen Malik, Principal of the Girls Middle School in Saidpur. "In most cases, IRI class is the only time that offers conversational practice to the students." In these rural areas, few parents know English and few teachers know the language well enough or have the support to teach it well.

October 2006