MANAGING THE

COMMUNITY

LEARNING CENTER

(CLC)

VICENTE R. ANTOFINA, JR.Mobile Teacher, Cluster

HeadCluster 4

Districts of Maydolong, Balangkayan, Llorente,

Hernani, Gen. MacArthur

Division of Eastern Samar

What is a CLC?• UNESCO defines a CLC as a "Iocal educational

institution outside the formal education system, for villages or urban areas, usually set up and managed by local people to provide various learning opportunities for community development and improvement of people's quality of life“.• CLC is built on the premise that community

participation is key to empowering communities and addressing local development challenges.

CLC Functions• A CLC is envisioned to be a place where the

community can gather for literacy classes, community meetings, training on non-formal and informal programmes, public information and dissemination, and community development. • It is also a centre that links with other agencies

of government, private and public organizations, for programmes that are of benefit to the community.

The objectives of CLCs are:• To help in the development of the

livelihood of citizens through the programmes and projects of the alternative learning system; • To strengthen and broaden

community links for mutual support; • To develop the capability of those

who lead the community or barangay

CLC Programmes• Accreditation and equivalency (A&E) • A&E , livelihood/training • A&E, literacy • A&E, literacy, training • A&E, livelihood training, computer

literacy • A&E, PEPT, training/livelihood • A&E, PEPT, training/livelihood, literacy • A&E, PEPT review • A&E, research

• Literacy • Literacy, livelihood • Literacy, livelihood, preschool • Literacy, reading centre/library • Literacy, conferences • Literacy, prayer/worship • Computer literacy • Computer literacy, A&E Computer

literacy, A&E, livelihood

CLC Programmes• Livelihood training • Meetings, assemblies, activities• Meetings, literacy, livelihood • Reading centre • PEPT review, livelihood, seminars • Seminars, meetings • Activity Number of CLCs Percent Seminars,

training • Training, reading centre, conferences• Training • Training, research, A&E

Factors contributing to the effective functioning of CLC’s• Local ownership and participation • Enabling national policies and programs to respond to local realities • Policy linkages and multi-sectoral support • Strong support of central, provincial and local governments • Strong management • External support or interventions that help maximize local potential •• Strong social capital (homogeneity and unity among community members

guided by similar values and aspirations) • Multi-sectoral support with good networking, collaboration and cooperation

with different stakeholders.

Challenges faced by

CLC’s• CLCs are not supported by or

linked to national policies and programs.• Programs not integrated to local

development plans and programs.• CLC programs are too thinly

spread and have little impact• Sustainability issues

Community

Participation• the greater the degree of

community participation in CLC activities, the greater the possibility and reality of ownership, and, therefore, the more likely the sustainability of the CLC.

CLC

Possible Types of Participation1. Manipulative participation. Participation is a sham. 2. Passive participation. People participate by being told what has been decided or has already happened. Information shared belongs only to external professionals. 3. Participation by consultation. People participate by answering questions. No share in decisionmaking is conceded and professionals are under no obligation to take on board people’s views. Again a common early experience for most countries which is still the case for the majority of CLCs in Bangladesh.

Possible Types of Participation4. Participation for material incentives. People participate in return for food, cash or other material incentives. They have no stake in prolonging activities when the incentives end. This opinion is not commonly held in other countries.5. Functional participation. Participation is seen by external agencies as a means to achieve project goals, especially reduced costs. People may participate by forming groups to meet predetermined project objectives.

Possible Types of Participation6. Interactive participation. People participate in joint analysis, which leads to action plans and the formation or strengthening of local groups or institutions that determine how resources are used. Learning methods are used to seek multiple viewpoints. 7. Self-mobilization. People take initiatives independently of external institutions. They develop contacts with external institutions for resources and technical advice but retain control over how resources are used. This would be a view held by most countries of the role of NGOs in founding CLCs.

External Intervention

Can the CLCs be sustained without external

funding?

• It is understandable that underserved and marginalized groups which are unable to raise adequate resources for education.• Networking with other government and non-government

organizations with similar objectives can help raise non-monetary resources in the form of awareness building and teaching/ learning materials.

• Such networking will contribute to meaningful knowledge sharing and capacity-building among different stakeholders.•Perceptions and attitudes of national and local level

government agencies are crucial for the functioning of the CLCs.

Sustainability

• Participants to be involved in all aspects of CLCs.• Community members can participate fully.•Members participate fully and responsibly.

“Intervention should decrease as internal autonomy

increases”.

How participation can

be enhanced?• requires capacity

building• advocacy and

partnerships

“No CLC is an island”

The human face of CLC’s• In the pursuit of sustainability it is all too easy to forget that human

activities have a human face. Example1: IGA (Income Generating Activity) does not rank very high in the list of useful activities of a majority of CLCs but when members of local communities are asked to mention the activities they think the CLCs should concentrate on, they identified IGA as the most important one and they have also indicated the specific trades they preferred.

Example 2: When local patrons support CLCs but meet objections to their wish to have a say in CLC affairs.

Community participation/ownership and external intervention will remain intertwined

in the development of and for the sustainability of CLCs.

The two phases

for establishing CLCs

I. Planning • Community mobilization/ information

dissemination/drumming up interest;• Community planning; •Preparation of plans of action.

II. Implementation • Execution of plans; • Monitoring; • Evaluation of programmes/drawing up of lessons

learned.

Competencies of ALS Implementers as CLC Managers

I. Leadership and Managing Operations in the CLC

II. Instructional LeadershipIII. Creating Community-Based and

Learner-Centered Learning ClimateIV. Enhancing Personal and Professional

Growth and Development

I. CLC Leadership and Managing Operations

A. Developing & Communicating Vision, Mission, Goals, Objectives and Activities of the CLC• Coordinate and participate in formulating the CLC’s VMGOA

• Explaining to the general public the CLC’s VMGOA

B. Management and Information System• Conduct community literacy mapping.

• Gather data on ALS programs and projects

• Establish functional MIS

C. Development Planning• Coordinate and participate in the planning for development

& implementation of ALS projects.

•Prepare action plan in coordination with the ALS ES I and PSDS.

•Prepare performance targets.

•Prepare project proposals to source out funds in coordination with ALS ES-I and PSDS.

D. Advocacy, Community Organization and Social Mobilization• Conduct linkage and networking with LGU’s, NGO’s and other

stakeholders.

• Coordinate with community leaders to identify potential learners

• Organize learning groups for ALS Basic Literacy Program, Accreditation & Equivalency System and other ALS projects.

• Use various strategies in raising awareness on the ALS programs and projects.

E. Monitoring and Evaluation• Monitor and evaluate ALS programs and projects within the district.

•Prepare status and progress report of the different ALS programs and projects.

•Submits quarterly and year-end accomplishment reports.

II. Instructional LeadershipA. Assessing Learners’ Literacy

• Conducts evaluation to determine the entry and exit level of learners using the Functional Literacy Test (FLT) and other ALS assessment tools.

•Monitor and evaluate the learners’ learning progress.

B. Conducting Learning Sessions• Conduct learning sessions using ALS core modules and other materials for at least 10 months a year.

• Devise plans and implement them in order to sustain gains of learners from the ALS programs.

III. Creating Community-Based and Learner-Centered Learning ClimateA. Determine the learning needs of learners.

• Use Individual Learning Agreement (ILA) to identify the learning needs of evert learner.

• Conduct home visits, individual tutorials, counseling and other need-driven activities in an effort to retain and win the learners back to the literacy sessions

• Assist in the preparation of learning portfolio.

A. Materials Development and / or Adaptation• Prepare and develop community-based learning materials and other supplementary learning materials.

• Adapt existing ALS materials and other supplementary learning materials by localizing them.

• Adopt existing ALS materials and other supplementary learning materials.

• Translate ALS learning materials and other learning materials into the local language of the learners or communities where he/she conducts learning session as the need arises.

IV. Enhancing Personal and Professional Growth and DevelopmentA. Professionalism

• Observes and demonstrates desirable personal and professional (RA 6713 & Code of Ethics RA 7836) behaviors like respect, honesty, dedication, patriotism and genuine concern for others at all times

B. Capability Building• Provide technical assistance to the mobile teacher, community leaders and other stakeholders.

• Serves as resource person, facilitator, and moderator during orientations, seminars, training, etc.

• Benchmark best practices of ALS Implementers in other divisions or regions.

C. Research and Development• Coordinate and conduct action research and development activities to improve teaching-learning process as well as

delivery of ALS programs and projects.

References:1. Google images2. National Competency Based for School Heads Manual3. Omnibus Guidelines for ALS4. UNESCO Bangkok. Sustainability of Community Learning Centers:

Community Ownership and Support (Asia Pacific region Action Research Studies), Bangkok 10110, Thailand. 2011

http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002146/214655E.pdf

The End