Paulo Freire Institute (PFI),
16, December 13 Square, Zejtun ZTN 1021.
Tel. 21694583 / 27021823 e-mail paulofreire@jesuit.org.mt
Ic-Cavetta - Maltese Literacy Toolkit for Employment and Education Inclusion ESF 3.66
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Paulo Freire Institute (PFI) in partnership with the Employment and Training Corporation, Inspire (Razzett and Eden Foundation) and Richmond Foundation have been granted funding under Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 (OP II-ESF) Structural Funds for a project entitled “Ic-Cavetta - Maltese Literacy Toolkit for Employment and Education Inclusion”. The project is an Adult Literacy Project.
Promoting an inclusive society:
The ‘Ic-Cavetta’ project addresses the challenges of social inclusion by addressing educational weaknesses which create challenges to access the labour market of disadvantaged groups. It aims to improve facilitation in accessing education and lifelong learning which would eventually feed into improved prospects of finding employment.The project is designed to provide specific assistance to those facing particular constraints and the development of a teaching toolkit and resources and tailor-made programmes specifically designed to facilitate access of vulnerable groups (including those who did not succeed through the formal education system) to education and employment.
Furthermore, access to further education and to employment will empower disadvantaged groups to build new social networks through the teaching centres and the place of work, which will help them further to become included in society.
Ic- Cavetta - Developing a teaching tool kit for Maltese literacy skills, promoting work values and computer orientation skills for adults facing social exclusion and employment challenges. The project includes the development and use of the toolkit by educators to provide education to disadvantaged groups with low levels of literacy and employment challenges.
Main Aims
To increase Maltese literacy skills, computer orientation skills and work values among disadvantaged persons aged 16 to 60. The key purpose of the project is to enhance the employability of vulnerable groups with low employment rates and low levels of literacy to contribute to increasing the overall labour supply within the economy and greater social cohesion in Malta. It addresses educational weaknesses, which create challenges to access the labour market by disadvantaged groups and to improve facilitation in accessing education and lifelong learning which would eventually feed into improved prospects of finding employment.
The project’s purpose is also to ensure that adult training is provided by adequately trained and equipped personnel, especially personnel working with vulnerable groups.’
The local situation and the Ic-Cavetta Toolkit
With an illiteracy rate estimated to be around 11.2 per cent1, which is relatively high when compared to the EU25 rate of 15.2 per cent2, illiterates are a matter of concern. Furthermore persons with low levels of literacy who are facing social exclusion and difficulties to access the labour market require more specific intervention. Each year, all the project partners reach over 100 persons with literacy difficulties. This calls for focused action to address and reach to the most vulnerable.
The Maltese Government has recognised the need to address the low levels of literacy and the need to support disadvantage groups to access education and the labour market. This is highlighted in various key documents including the National Action Plan for Inclusion 2006-2008, the Operational Programme II Empowering People for more jobs and a better quality of life and the Pre-Budget Document.
Under the ESF Programme for 2004-2006 ESF 18 and ESF 4 have both produced manuals and other material to help with literacy of adults. This project product intends to add value and complement both projects. Both projects assume that the learner already knows how to read. The aim of the project is to take a more basic approach and its tool will start from letter recognition and learning the sound of the letters (phonics).
This is essential for those who do not know how or find it difficult or read very badly and it is envisaged that this toolkit will address the gap which is within this vulnerable group of people within Maltese society. In the development of this tool, various factors which previously were side-lined will be taken into consideration.
The training techniques of this toolkit will have a strong visual aspect, hence facilitating the recognition of letters. A difference in content will ensure that the material produced will be specific for two main groups, mainly adults and children. The product will be IT interactive with audio, easily accessible and intuitive. It will be accessible on the widest possible variety of computer platforms. It will be fun to use and will provide enough stimuli to keep the end user interested. This will add another dimension and introduce the learner to the use of a computer as a learning tool. Being IT interactive the product will help both trainer and trainee with better teaching skills and rapid progress.
Through the use of visual material, the tool kit will also help to provide computer orientation skills and promote the value of work. This will help to address other key needs being faced by the target group, which include lack of computer literacy skills and the need to help break the cycle of being fully dependent on benefit systems. Furthermore employment, which can become more of a reality following the training, will help the persons facing social exclusion to develop social networks at work and during training, thus providing more opportunities to integrate better in society.
NB 1 National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2004-2006, Light Update Report 2005, pp. 7. This is based on the whole population including the older age groups who were not provided with compulsory education when they were young.
2 Source for EU data: Eurostat, 27 June 2006, extracted on 10 October 2006 as quoted in the OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME II
Results
1. 13 to 20 trained teachers, educators and facilitators aware about literacy challenges in adults, equipped and informed on how to use the tool kit and involved in evaluating the tool kit 2. 72 to 96 persons facing social exclusion, literacy and employment challenges provided with training on basic literacy, work values and computer orientation skills 3. Exchange of information with a counterpart in another EU Country (Estonia) working on literacy training for adults.
2. 72 to 96 persons facing social exclusion, literacy and employment challenges provided with training on basic literacy, work values and computer orientation skills
3. Exchange of information with a counterpart in another EU Country (Estonia) working on literacy training for adults
IĊ-ĊAVETTA
Għodda biex titgħallem tikteb bil-Malti għal Inklużjoni fl-Impieg u l-Edukazzjoni (ESF 3.66)
L-Istitut Paulo Freire flimkien mal-Korporazzjoni għall-Impieg u Taħriġ (ETC), Inspire (Razzett tal-Ħbiberija u Eden Foundation) u Richmond Foundation irċevew fondi taħt l-iskema Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 (OP II-ESF) Structural Funds għall-proġett imsejjaħ “Iċ-Ċavetta – Għodda biex titgħallem tikteb bil-Malti għal Inklużjoni fl-Impieg u l-Edukazzjoni”. Dan hu proġett ta’ alfabetizzazzjoni ta’ persuni adulti.
Nippromovu soċjetà inklusiva:
Il-proġett ‘Iċ-Ċavetta’ jindirizza l-isfida ta’ inklużjoni fis-soċjetà billi toffri għajnuna lil dawk li huma aktar dgħajfa fl-edukazzjoni tagħhom u li mħabba f’hekk għandhom diffikultajiet biex isibu jaħdmu. Il-proġett hu immirat biex dawn ikollhom aċċess aktar faċli għal edukazzjoni u formazzjoni bħala adulti li tgħinhom isibu impiegi aħjar.
B’mod partikolari il-proġett hu maħsub biex joffri għajnuna lil dawk li għandhom limitazzjonijiet partikolari. Jiżviluppa għodda ta’ tagħlim, riżorsi u programmi adatti b’mod speċifiku biex gruppi aktar vulnerabbli (li jinkludu dawk li fallew fis-sistema edukattiva formali) ikollhom aċċess aħjar għal edukazzjoni u impiegi.
Barra minn hekk, edukazzjoni u impieg aħjar, jgħin lil dawn il-gruppi svantaġġati biex jibnu kuntatti soċjali ġodda fil-postijiet tat-tagħlim u tax-xogħol tagħhom. Dan jgħinhom jintegraw ruħhom aħjar fis-soċjetà.
IĊ-ĊAVETTA – Niżviluppaw għodda ta’ tagħlim tal-kitba bil-Malti, nippromovu valuri ta’ xogħol u ħiliet fl-użu tal-kompjuter fost adulti li huma aktar f’riskju li jibqgħu esklużi mis-soċjetà u ma jsibux impieg.
Il-proġett jinkludi l-iżvilupp u l-użu ta’ din l-għodda minn edukaturi li jipprovdu din l-edukazzjoni lil gruppi żvantaġġati li għandhom dawn l-isfidi ta’ impieg u kitba.
GĦANIJIET PRINĊIPALI
Biex jiżdiedu l-ħiliet ta’ kitba bil-Malti, l-użu tal-kompjuter u kapaċità ta’ xogħol fost persuni svantaġġati ta’ bejn is-16 u s-60 sena.
L-iskop ewlieni hu li gruppi vulnerabbli b’diffikultà li jsibu mpieg u b’ħiliet baxxi ta’ kitba ikunu jistgħu jagħtu sehemhom fl-ekonomija u fis-soċjetà Maltija. Tgħin biex jissaħħu dawk id-djufijiet li jfixklu milli wieħed jidħol fis-suq tal-impiegi u jiffaċilita li persuni bħal dawn ikollhom aċċess għal edukazzjoni u tagħlim f’età matura b’mod li jkun aktar faċli għalihom li jsibu xogħol.
L-iskop tal-proġett huwa wkoll li dan it-taħriġ isir minn personnel li jkun imħejji b’mod xieraq u b’mezzi adekwati, speċjalment dawk li jridu jaħdmu ma’ gruppi vulnerabbli.
Is-sitwazzjoni lokali u l-Progett Iċ-Ċavetta
Ir-rata ta’ persuni illiterati hija ta’ 11.2 fil-mija.1 Rata relativament għolja meta tqabbilha ma’ dik tal-EU25 li hi ta’ 15.2 fil-mija2. Din hija rata preokkupanti. Barra minn hekk, persuni li minħabba l-livel baxx ta’ litteriżmu tagħhom ikollhom jiffaċċjaw esklużjoni soċjali u diffikultà biex isibu mpieg, jeħtiġilhom għajnuna aktar speċifika. Ta’ kull sena, l-imsieħba f’dan il-proġett jilħqu madwar 100 persuna b’diffikultajiet ta’ kitba u qari. Dan jistieden biex tingħata aktar attenzjoni bir-reqqa biex jintleħqu aktar fost dawk li huma dgħajfa vulnerabbli.
Dan jissemma f’diversi dokumenti importanti bħal: Pjan Nazzjonali ta’ Azzjoni favur l-Inklużjoni 2006-2008, Operational Programme 11 favur Persuni għal impiegi u kwalità ta’ ħajja aħjar u l-Pre-Budget Document.
Taħt il-Programm ESF 2004-2006, l-ESF18 u ESF4 ipproduċejna manwali u materjal ieħor biex jgħinu fit-tagħlim tal-kitba lill-adulti. Dan il-proġett issa maħsub biex iżid mal-valur tal-proġetti ta’ qablu u jikkomplementahom. Iż-żewġ proġetti ta’ qabel jassumu li l-parteċipant diġà jaf jaqra u jikteb, filwaqt li dal-proġett huwa aktar bażiku u jibda mill-għarfien tal-ittri u l-ħoss (phonics) ta’ dawn l-ittri.
Dan hu essenzajli għal dawk li jew ma jafu jaqraw xejn jew isibu diffikultajiet kbira biex jaqraw. Hu maħsub li din l-għodda tindirizza l-bżonnijiet ta’ din il-faxxa fost il-gruppi vulnerabbli fis-soċjetà Maltija. Fl-iżvilupp ta’ din l-għodda, ingħatat importanza lil diversi fatturi li fil-proġetti ta’ qabel kienu tħallew fil-ġenb. It-teknika użata għandha aspett viżiv qawwi, b’mod li jkun aktar faċli għal-istudent li jagħraf l-ittri. Il-kontenut ukoll ifittex li l-materjal ippreżentat ikun speċifiku għal żewġ gruppi partikolari: l-adulti u t-tfal. Dan il-prodott se jkun interattiv fit-teknoloġija tal-informatika, b’aspett awdio ħalli jkun aktar aċċessibbli u intuwittiv. Se jkun aċċessibbli minn varjetà kbira ‘platforms’ ta’ kompjuters. L-użu tiegħu ikun mhux biss faċli imma wkoll divertenti bil-ħsieb li jżomm lill-istudent tassew interessat. Fl-istess ħin għandu l-vantaġġ li jgħin lil min ikun qed jużah biex jitgħallem juża l-kompjuter bħala għodda ta’ tagħlim. Billi huwa għodda interattiva, il-prodott jgħin kemm l-għalliem kif ukoll l-istudent b’mezzi ta’ tagħlim aħjar li jġib progress aktar mgħaġġel.
Bl-użu ta’ materjal viżiv, l-għodda tgħinu ukoll biex tagħti kapaċitajiet fl-użu tal-kompjuter u fil-valur aktar kbir tax-xogħol. B’hekk ikunu qed jiġu indirizzati bżonnijiet aktar fundamentali li għandhom il-persuni li qed infittxu li ngħinu. Huma jsiru aktar familjari mal-użu tal-kompjuter u jwasslu biex ikunu anqas dipendenti fuq is-sistema ta’ benefiċċji soċjali. Aktar minn hekk, l-impieg li realistikament isir aktar possibbli wara l-kors, jgħin lill-persuni li jagħmluh jaslu għal integrazzjoni akbar fis-soċjetà u jibnu relazzjonijiet ma’ sħabhom fuq ix-xogħol u tal-kors stess.
NB 1 National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2004-2006, Light Update Report 2005, pp. 7. Dan hu bażat fuq il-popolazzjoni sħiħa li tinkludi il-gruppi akbar fl’età li qatt ma rċevew edukazzjoni obligatorja meta kienu żgħar.
NB 2 Ara informazzjoni tal-EU: Eurostat, 27 June 2006, extracted on 10 October 2006 as quoted in the OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME II
Riżultati
1. Bejn 13 u 20 għalliema imħarrġa, edukaturi u facilitators li huma konxji tal-isfidi ta’ litteriżmu fl-adulti.
2. Bejn 72 u 96 persuni b’riskju ta’ esklużjoni soċjali u b’diffikultajiet biex isibu impieg li jingħataw taħriġ bażiku fil-kitba u l-qari, valuri fuq ix-xogħol u ħiliet fl-użu tal-kompjuter.
3. Qsim ta’ informazzjoni ma partenarji f’pajjiż ieħor tal-Unjoni Ewropea (Estonia) li qed jaħdmu fuq ħidma ta’ litteriżmu fost l-adulti.
