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Community Radio for Education Radio technology was developed in late nineteenth century and was used more often in early twentieth century. It has been a tool that is capable of delivering information to widespread geographic regions and is cost effective By Yukti Pahwa
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adio is a cost-effective and has greater learning effect than textbooks or teacher education. Some of the educational advantages of using radio include improvement in quality and relevance, low cost and increase accessibility. The challenges that it presents include lack of dual interaction, lack of clarification, interruptions in transmissions, fixed pace for all and lack of space for reflection on content being taught. Radio is supportive of providing remedial tutorials; providing updates; presenting material in a manner that children can identify with emotions and outlook of the protagonist; and providing an alternate to TV programmes.
Community Radio Mainstream media is very vast and its approach is very generic and not suited to local needs of the people. Community radio’s are yet another tool which is used by the local communities who are the creators and disseminators of the information required by the local community. They produce and centre the information/ discussions on local issues. For running community radio training is provided to children/ adults and can be executed easily. It supports children to speak their mind, in line with Convention on the Rights of the Child. Community radio propagates not only knowledge but also sense of responsibility and morality amongst children. In December 2002, the Government of
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India approved a policy for the grant of licenses for setting up of Community Radio Stations to well established education institutions including the IITs and the IIMs. Later the government also included other civil societies such as NGOs and voluntary ‘non-profit’ organizations. Government has also prescribed principals and guidelines for setting up the community radio such as three years of compulsory experience of the non profit organisation in providing service to local community; including only those programmes for broadcast that are relevant to the educational development, social and cultural needs of the community; the civil society must be registered under societies’ act
or other relevant act. Government of India showed its keenness to open 4000 community radio 2008 stations. At present, All India Radio forms first tier; private FM form the second tier; and community radio forms that third tier. It is a form of empowerment given to the operators - that is community people at it aids them to voice their needs, desires and intentions. It involves community participation and ownership. It helps them to get education and entertainment in their own language and based on their manner of living, at low cost. In hands of children, it can help them give opportunity to be the decision makers and responsible for their act and gain an understanding that they can make
Media literacy comprises of demanding accountability from media. It implies understanding the process of transmitting information. It activates community members to participate and own the content they need and spread a difference. According to W Jayaweera, Director, Communication Development, UNESCO, Community Radio is not just about broadcast content; it is mostly about the process of community engagement. Community radio is about social skills, business skills, creativity, IT skills, local democracy, hard to reach groups, involvement of women and young people and involvement of hundreds of volunteers. Community Radio is about harnessing the tremendous potentials media can offer to engage people and change their lives. It is about ordinary people having a stake in the vast
broadcasting landscape and becoming responsible and accountable citizens.
Media Literacy Community Media Centers are the places where opportunities for operating media tools such as community radio are available. Such initiatives encourage the understanding of usage and effects of media over a community. It implies engagement of the local community people, giving them a stake in the dissemination of knowledge. Media literacy comprises of demanding accountability from media. It implies un-
derstanding the process of transmitting information. It activates community members to participate and own the content they need and spread. Awareness about media and its potential is another component of literacy. Government formulated policy at different times. In December 2002, the policy was formulated and revamped in 2006 with only difference being that initially only reputed educational institutes were allowed to operate community radio’s while lately, NGOs, CSOs of good repute have been allowed to operate on the same. For spreading awareness, workshops are being conducted to train not only adults but also children. Making a good Community Radio Station involves participation of community with only guidance from the external world. Its infrastructure involves a space and a building making a studio with transmission facilities. It involves regular recruitment of different people from community, who are trained to use the transmitter equipment and content that is being developed. Maintenance of studio and equipment used is of importance in order to avoid breakdown of transmissions, which is equal responsibility of each person in the community. Community Radio Forum and government agencies come forward to provide license and funds to provide for CRS. Any help from outside the community should be limited to provide for the hardware and training related to daily operations but not recurring expenses such as honorarium. According to provisions for the license, the programmes being broadcasted have to be preserved for six months for scrutiny at later stage. The CSR cannot be monitored from one place, however, violation of rules implies penalty for the community to pay. Free expression is a right that community enjoys but rules are to be followed by all. Even FM channels are not allowed to broadcast news and current affairs, whereas private TV channels are allowed to do so. Furthermore, com-
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Knowledge dissemination and awareness are the assumed advantages; with snatched play time and low attention span being the limitations of media tools munity radio technology is based on inexpensive technology comprising of equipment supported by CR policy and UNESCO.
Radio as a Potential ICT Tool Often it is said that multi-media help teachers and education system to go beyond talk and chalk method to impart knowledge in most suitable way. So the issues that rise alongside use of multi media are – replacement of teachers with multi-media, collaborative learning with both teachers and multi-media, and use of multi-media in situations where presence of teachers are difficult to attain. One of the major challenges in our country is lack of qualified teachers, especially in rolling out of laws such as Right to Free and Compulsory Education, 2009. With advent of Information and Communication Technology and media there is being seen a change in ‘shishya-guru’ tradition. It would be of value to see if
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media has potential of replacing the teachers/ providing equally competent environment of learning to students of varying ages. It provides students with pedagogical support, social and emotional development, and helps in bridging the ‘digital divide’ between the students from various sections of the society.
Literacy through Radio Central Institute of Educational technology (CIET) (a division under National Coucil of Educational Research and Training) has been working towards providing media literacy to children through use of radio, television and cyber media, individually and in combination to increase educational opportunities to students across domains. CIET provides media literacy to children by imparting knowledge of media analysis and hands on production of media. It provides them with training for producing programmes. CIET in collaboration with five SIETs of Hyderabad, Pune,
Bhubaneshwar, Ahmedabad and Lucknow, trained school going children in 2008-09 for making video programmes on issues of social justice and change. In another effort CIET to encourage the young talent introduced a new category for nomination in its 13th Annual children’s educational Audio–Video festival – Best Student Production.
Code of Conduct The organisation called the Concerned for the Working Children, have evolved a Media Code of Conduct to realise rights of children and making a paradigm shift in media’s approach to children as passive recipients of the adult domination to full partners in what is being presented through media. It has been prepared within Indian context. This Media Code of Conduct has been created on basis of three primary areas. First, children should be considered as producers of media, that is, they should be given freedom of expression and opinions; as users of media children’s access to media; right to information; children’s rights programming of content, Right to protection from harmful content” should be given special attention; and children as subjects of media that is children as subjects rather than objects of the media; right to protection from misrepresentation and stereotyping; and right to privacy, confidentiality and dignity. In India, print media and radio are two sources that are readily available to most of the adults and children. A study on use and impact of radio and print media can help in understanding of children’s understanding of society, community and themselves. Impact of education (formal/ non formal) of children on their interaction with print media and community radio can help in understanding subject matter in a better manner. Media is creating and propagating a ‘knowledge society’, with youth having maximum interaction with the emerging technologies of information and communication. Knowledge dissemination and awareness are the assumed advantages of media; and snatched play time of children, low attention span, and so on are the assumed limitations of media mediums.
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Some Work in Area of Community Radio Work in the area of community radio has been carried out with women and children in different states in India by various NGOs and international agencies such as that of United Nations. In December 2004, DHAN Foundation worked with Tsunami affected communities and used ICT as an intervention tool through the Village Information Centres (VIC) set up in villages. The foundation additionally, launched Community Radio Station Kalanjam Samuga Vanoli, set up at Vizhunthamavadi village of Keelaiyur Block in Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu. This center worked towards developing a media model which comprised of radio with video with web based technology. UNDP supported the programme with resources under its Tsunami Recovery Programme. The aim of this initiative
was to empower people to develop disaster management skills, strengthen their livelihood, promote and preserve their traditional knowledge and to help youth and students to prepare communication skills. The challenges that the foundation faced included license issues, imperative of making community educated about the designing and implementing of the media production – spending time and energy – leading to ownership, which is beyond community participation, involving women for media production in a society which was dominated by men, sustainability of the community radio station, and broadcasting issues. Dr K Thangraj, Chief Coordinator KONGU FM mentions, “Reaching out to the un-reached, community radio can be thought of as a medium providing voice to the voiceless, power to the powerless, through cleverly designed
Children are capable of handling issues that require responsibility and ownership, in addition to being least hesitant, when it comes to speaking their mind
and elegantly executed programmes. It has to address the real issues of the rural masses, their longings, feelings, expressions, joy and wisdom. It has to address and redress their sorrow, anguish and sufferings. It has ti help them establish their rights to information, development, communication, governance, decision making, participation, freedom of expression, employment and entitlement to land, health, education and security.” In India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has approved application of seven NGOs to set up community radio systems of about 140 appli-
cants who applied for license from the Inter Ministerial Committee to set up community radio stations. These include The Society for Development Alternatives, New Delhi; Alternatives for India Development (AID), Chennai; Deccan Development Society (DDS), Hyderabad; Indian Society of Agri-Business Professionals (ISAP), New Delhi; Mannvikas Samajik Sansthan (MVSS), Satara, Maharashtra; The Energy Research Institute of India (TERI), New Delhi; and the Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency (MYRADA), Bangaluru. The aim for constructing these CRC was to hear the community, bridge digital divide amongst rural and urban population, encourage community participation and leadership skills, manage local issues especially related to women, to document the traditions and culture of the community, to promote editorial independence in creating and disseminating content from the government, communal and political parties, and to entertain the rural people. Children are capable of handling issues that require responsibility. They are capable of turning into radio jockeys. For instance child jockeys were introduced by Radio Choklate as a unique step in Oriya programming, known as Chhota Choklate. It is aired between four to five pm on weekdays by children in age group of 6-12 years. This include children jockey come and talk about his/ her area of interest and specialisation such as music, sports, fashion, masti, movie and stories. Similarly in April 2008, it was reported that Bihar government proposed a community radio project for schools, for which 11 highschools were selected from Patna and Nalanda. The main aim of the project was to spread socially relevant information across community, enhance local participation, aiding process of disaster management, sustaining local folk forms, employment of local youth and discouraging migration. The community radio center not only targets production of programmes made by children but also encourages overall personality of the children.\\
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