Population education: a life experience course for the young

The Philippines is the 1st country to adopt an extensive population education program at an early stage of its national population program. Population education is a "life experience" course with the following 5 areas of study: 1) demography, 2) determinants of population growth, 3) consequences of population growth, 4) human sexuality and reproduction, and 5) planning for the future. Many institutions in the Philippines are teaching the course materials and training teachers for the course. Difficulties encountered in initiating the course are: 1) lack of administrative support, 2) lack of cooperation from conservative parents, and 3) an overcrowded curriculum. It has been decided to integrate the aspects of this course into existing areas of the curriculum. Topics for future research in population are outlined. Use of the research was also covered.     

The premarriage counseling program: effectively meeting its objectives

Better education of Philippine couples and exposure to good counseling before marriage are 2 major factors that have positively affected the performance of the 9 year old Premarriage Counseling Program (PMCP). According to the study, better educated couples about to marry, and couples who had previous guidance from premarriage counselors scored higher than others on a family planning Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice (KAP) test. A study was conducted to evaluate the program's effectiveness. Broadly, all those involved in the PMCP agreed that it contributed a large share to the slowing down of the country's population growth and favored the continuation of the program. The 7 major problems of the program discussed are: 1) poor coordination and cooperation among the participating agencies existed in some areas from the top level of the hierarchy to the lowest level, 2) lack of logistic support to enable the staff to perform their respective responsibilities, 3) lack of discipline and skill among counselors in performing their responsibilities, 4) lack of interest among the counselees, 5) an inadequate database for monitoring and evaluating, 6) reliance on a "padrino" to be exempted from going through premarriage counseling sessions, and 7) too much focus on family planning and marriage and relationships during premarriage counseling sessions. Recommendations include 1) program heads should reassess the program's subject matter, and 2) the subject matter of premarriage counseling sessions should be limited to thorough discussions of family planning, marriage, and relationships.     

首都教育资源配置与人口发展态势的互动

基于2001－2015年的《北京市教育事业统计资料》,利用常规统计分析方法,发现北京市教育资源配置和人口发展态势表现为以下关联特点：中等教育阶段在校生规模相对较少;义务教育阶段非京籍学生占比骤增;学校数量“高校和高中增加、其他皆降”;小学和大学阶段的师生比下降,资源配置略显紧张;基础教育阶段的就学人口主要聚集于城市功能拓展区,其占比仍在提升;高等教育的核心培养对象所占比例已降至不足四成。为了促进教育和人口的良性互动,政府部门未来应关注六个问题：人口发展惯性引发的教育需求增长拐点问题、流动人口子女不同流向引发的人力资本提升受阻问题、人口空间布局优化引发的教育资源有效配置问题、人口疏解视野下高等教育的“瘦身”问题以及职业人才匮乏引发的创新支撑不足问题。     

Student Perception As Moderator For Student Wellbeing

Student motivation as well as student perception of interpersonal teacher behaviour are linked to the sense of wellbeing at student level. However, while most of the variance in the measurement of student wellbeing was situated at student level, eleven percent of variance was found at classroom level. In this article we focus on this variance at classroom level and the moderating role that student perception of interpersonal teacher behaviour has. From an interpersonal perspective on teaching, the relationship between teacher wellbeing, perceptions of interpersonal teacher behaviour, and student wellbeing is examined. Grade 9 students of technical and vocational training schools are participating in this study. In the analyses a distinction is made between teaching academic subjects and teaching vocational subjects. There appears to be a direct link between the wellbeing of the teachers of academic subjects and the wellbeing of their students. Students who perceive their academic teacher as leading, helpful and friendly score higher on wellbeing, while wellbeing decreases when an academic teacher is perceived as strict and admonishing.The relationship between the teacher of vocational subjects who typifies himself as strict and admonishing, and the wellbeing of his students, is moderated by student perceptions of teacher interpersonal behaviour. A direct relationship between the wellbeing of the vocational teacher and the wellbeing of students is not found. Only when the vocational teacher's wellbeing is high and student perceptions of uncertain or dissatisfied interpersonal teacher behaviour is low, does student wellbeing increase. We conclude that for vocational subjects, student perceptions of interpersonal teacher behaviour are crucial moderators. Finally, students who are highly motivated to learn practical subjects, have a higher score on student wellbeing. By contrast, the fact that education is inherently obligatory has a negative influence on student wellbeing.     

Adolescent fertility programs: taking the first few steps

Adolescent fertility programs in Asia and the Pacific have a long way to go to check the problems associated with adolescent fertility, but a start has been made. Delegates from 8 countries met in 1982 to share their problems and experiences in their own countries. The conference participants drew up plans to deal with a high rate of adolescent fertility, sexually active adolescents, out-of-wedlock births, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, prostitution, rape, abortion, and drug addiction. The delegates felt that for adolescent fertility programs to be effective the program workers must first be equipped with the needed skills through proper training. Inadequate knowledge of the subject matter, inability to communicate with adolescents, personal bias, and lack of counseling skills were among the worker-related problems that conference participants identified. A few months after the conference, participant countries conducted a training program on the effective delivery of adolescent fertility-related information and counseling services. The training program, held in Manila from January 23 to February 2, 1984, was conducted by the Population Center Foundation and sponsored by the Family Planning International Assistance. Training program objectives included: in crease the participants' knowledge of sexuality-related matters; help them to communicate better with adolescents on matters related to sexuality and fertility; make them aware of other ways of responding to fertility-related information needs of adolescents; and improve their skills in counseling adolescents. Lectures, structured learning activities, discussions, role playing, and other methods were used to maximize learning. The training program was divided into 6 modules: group dynamics; human sexuality; information dissemination; counseling techniques; management; and action planning. The plans of Fiji, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Philippines are reviewed. Organizers of the training program are confident that the action plans of the individual countries will take shape soon and clear the path toward more effective adolescent fertility programs.     

"Katiwala": trustee of community health

The setting up of a medical cooperative in a squatter community in Davao City, Philippines, and the training of women from the community to serve as paramedical health visitors and family planning workers, is described. The clinic charges each family a small fee and sells drugs at cost. The health visitor program was initiated by the poor families themselves to reach those who could not come to the clinic. The 1st groups trained chose the name Kaunaunahang Katiwala ng Kalusugan, or First Trustees of Health, and they are called katiwala for short. Since 1973 about 80 of these women, usually about 30 years of age, with home and family responsibilities, and of low educational background, have bee n trained. The dialogic method of Paolo Fraire of Brazil is used, which focuses on the native intelligence of the student and emphasizes a mutual learning process on the part of both teacher and student. Upon graduation the katiwala take care of minor ailments, refer major problems to the clinic, distribute family planning information, and encourage sanitation and good health practices. The barrios are divided into districts and 2 katiwala assigned to each. They receive some compensation. The program has proved it is possible to train persons with little education to be effective health workers and free physicians and nurses for more serious cases.     

Discovery learning: an ally in population education

"Discovery learning," as a teaching strategy, is being adopted by the Population Education Program of the Philippines. This approach, it is thought, will help students make up their own mind when it comes to family planning matters by urging them to look at population phenomena "through scientific eyes." It calls for the teacher to play a minor facilitative role rather than a dictatorial one. Numerous obstacles exist to the development of such a program, especially in the areas of teacher training, alteration of classroom logistics, and administrative support. Studies need to be made to determine the relationship between self-discovery and Filipino societal characteristics.     

农民工就业培训调查分析

参加就业培训是农民工顺利实现非农就业的关键,调查显示:农民工受教育程度低,主要以初中、高中文化程度为主;政府部门、用人单位和农民工对就业培训的投资力度较弱,大多数农民工只能从事简单体力劳动;现有劳动力就业培训市场不规范,农民工对其表现出极大不信任;就业培训缺乏灵活性和针对性。构建以农民工、用人单位和政府部门为主体,培训机构、培训市场和就业市场相协调的就业促进型培训模式。利用这一模式,提高农民工综合素质,加大就业培训的投资力度,规范劳动力培训市场建设。     

To the barrios] The new course charted by the national population program

In order to reduce the Philippine birthrate to 2% by 1980, the number of rural women practicing contraception must be trebeled. To facilitate such an effort, a large-scale reorganization and reorientation in all areas of family planning activity--delivery, training, research, information, education, and communication--is proposed, shifting the delivery of family planning services from clinics to the 36,000 barrio bases. A goal of 16,000 extension workers in family planning is set for 1976; these workers will be the ones to make the initial contacts with potential acceptors. Then full-time family planning workers will try to make potential acceptors into bonefide ones, giving advice or prescribing the method and providing follow-up. Family planning workers will be supervised by nurses and midwives in health stations, who in turn will be supervised by the physician in the rural health unit. Acceptability among community residents is the most vital characteristic of a family planning worker, with the country's 27,000 hilots (birth attendents) seen as leading candidates. Attracting and training manpower in the field is a major challenge, as is lack of personnel in the area of research. Several possible avenues for the development of research interest and manpower for the population program are explored.     

Premarital information efforts under way

Premarital couples are among priority targets of family planning information in the Philippines national population program as they can serve a pivotal role in slowing population growth. Applicants for marriage licenses are required to attend a family planning session as a prerequisite. Following recommendations of a training effort and seminar on Premarital Family Planning Counseling, on July 20, 1976, premarital information was institutionalized in the country by Presidential DEcree 965 which made family planning counseling obligatory to the marriage license applicants. Shortly after that, a multiagency effort gathered information on the status of the Premarital information program in the Philippines, which showed that there is no full-time specialist for the work. Medical officers; social workers; community welfare supervisors; and program and training officers do this work of information in addition to their usual duties. Distribution of the applicants varied greatly in age groups, educational levels, and professional category. The size of the group, length of session and topics of discussion varied greatly. Necessary efforts should be made to solve the major problems by selecting better sites for group sessions and training more personnel for the purpose. There is a great need fordeveloping more effective and research oriented information, education and communication materials, according to the needs and cultural traits of the target audience.     

A preliminary analysis of the high birth rate in India]

The author first provides some basic demographic data for India and points out that the current annual rate of population growth of 2.45 percent is slightly higher than the annual increase in food production. Problems in the areas of employment, education, housing, and transportation, as well as the general problem of poverty, are seen as a consequence of this imbalance. The lack of success of the national family planning program is attributed primarily to the failure to achieve a satisfactory rate of economic growth. Contributory factors include early marriage, the low status of women, the desire for large families, and administrative problems associated with the family planning program.     

Values: their place in population education

In an attempt to resolve the crucial issues relating to dealing with the value dilemmas of students, population educators in the Philippines convened a series of conferences. The Philippine population education teachers, trainers, and administrators participating in the conferences agreed that a fusion of the affective and cognitive processes was necessary and that there should be more student involvement and self-made decisions on the part of students. An issue still unresolved is whether schools should inculcate values in the students or let them resolve or discover values by themselves; the strategies suggested range from open-ended or value processing to close-ended value teaching. Teachers and supervisors stressed that all strategies should be undertaken since they complement each other, but the choice and availability of materials to support and reinforce the strategy continues to be a problem for many participants. Preliminary studies conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a value clarification strategy support the contention that value clarification processes do make a difference in certain patterns of student behavior, attitudes, and knowledge. Research also shows that the value clarification strategy is ineffective with teachers who are highly authoritarian, closed-minded, and dogmatic. The Population Education Program has responded to recommendations of the conference participants and taken some definite action, such as the implementation of value clarification strategies as part of the teacher training program and development of a list of Filipino values to serve as guides in teaching value-laden population issues.     

Bangladesh: programs geared to meet population goals; communication as a major factor in UNFPA funded projects

The population policy of Bangladesh is aiming for a zero population growth rate at a suitable level of equilibrium. It is hoped that a net reproductive rate of 1.0 will be achieved by 1990, and that by 1985 fertility will be reduced to replacement level. Various measures to attain these goals have been suggested and they include such ones as the integration of family planning programs with other development efforts through a multisectoral approach and the introduction of incentives and disincentives for acceptance of the idea of the small family. Communications by radio and television play a critical role in the program to reduce fertility. UNFPA-funded projects emphasize education, motivation, and communication with the hope of creating a favorable attitude towards family planning and the concept of the small family. Numerous projects in progress are mentioned with regard to their current status. These projects include: rural development cooperatives and population education; pilot projects for family planning motivation and services in industry and on plantations; population education in agricultural extension; strengthening (IEM) information, education, and motivation and training; population awareness for out-of-school youth; a population education program for the Ministry of Education; and a national population information service.     

Pakistan: re-organization at the top

New measures for population program planning have been introduced in Pakistan. 3 wings were added in the Population Planning Council: administration, coordination, and planning; operation; and technical. New elements in the program include: 1) setting up of new directorates; 2) opening of more family welfare clinics, model clinics, and sterilization centers; and 3) expansion of training facilities for medical and paramedical personnel. 2 national training institutions have been established: the Population Training Centre at Lahore, and the National Institute of Advanced Training at Hyderabad. 16 centers have training courses for doctors performing sterilization. There has been a restructuring of the information, education, and communication aspects of the program. The commercial distribution of contraceptives has become an important element. There are efforts to relate the program to other development programs.     

Full-time workers reach out to the villages

The Philippine Commission on Population (Popcom) has fielded 2721 fulltime outreach workers (FTOWs). The FTOWs are the outcome of a shift from a clinic-based, motivation-oriented family planning effort to the Rural Outreach Program which is part of the new Total Integrated Development Approach (TIDA). Organizationally, the workers are under local government supervision and their purpose is to make the family planning program more responsive to community needs. This article profiles the average FTOW, describes recruitment and training procedures and discusses problems of the program -- funding, transportation, inadequate training, lack of educational materials, shortage of contraceptive supplies -- and possible solutions.     

Sri Lanka: current status of family planning

In Sri Lanka the family planning program is closely related to socioeconomic and cultural variables. The expectation is that in the near future family planning will be included as a component of a network of social services. The official program is a response to the economic necessities and welfare demands of individuals and families. The method of family planning most frequently requested is female sterilization, and no attempts are being made to direct people to other methods. 12 United Nations Fund for Population Activities assisted projects have provided the framework and basis for the institutional coverage of family planning activities in Sri Lanka. However, the experience of these projects revealed a lack of facilities, shortage of personnel and management inadequacies, all related to the delivery of family planning services. The following steps are suggested as a means of overcoming the current problems and expanding the program: 1) establish a pattern of interacting relationship between the mass media, community health education and the available services; 2) provide an operational approach to program management, monitoring and periodic reviews of the program; 3) involve the private sector health facilities; and 4) incur additional capital cost to increase the capacity for delivery of better health facilities and personnel.     

Zur Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern: Ansprüche und Realitäten bei der Umsetzung eines bildungspolitischen Auftrags

The equality of women and men is a social and political challenge for all of society, not least for teacher training establishments. The EU-strategy “Gender Mainstreaming” is the expression of the political will to translate equality into social practice. Therefore all European governments are obliged to initiate appropriate projects. In Austria the Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture chose the teacher training colleges as a target group for a pilot scheme. The implementation process of gender mainstreaming was documented and evaluated by external evaluators. This essay emphasises the conditions and presumptions under which the pilot scheme took place and analyses critically the organisations and their structure as a framework for equality activities as well as assessing the chances for further development in the future.     

Milk collection,rural development,and a town called Jala-jala

Underdeveloped Jala-jala was selected by the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI) of the University of the Philippines at Los Banos as the pilot area for a program of integrated rural development based on milk collection. The scheme was originally launched in 1967 but only recently has become a fullfledged protram including an evaluation function and in a new baranguay (village), Pagkalinawan, the Milk Collection Program (MCP) was established not just for its own sake but with total development as its orientation. Local farmers are taught how to milk animals and how to maintain proper hygiene and the milk is collected and processed at the DTRI plant. Farmers are paid in cash and in kind. The program has increased family income and improved nutrition. Spinoffs from the program include breeding services to improve productivity of milking animals; the Applied Nutrition Project, which provides both nutritional education and food; a family planning program which has made some headway in motivating acceptors; and a training program for baranguay health workers. Final evaluation is still awaited but the MCP can be considered an initial success.     

Do incentives matter? – Evaluation of a family planning program in India

Indian Family Planning programs in the past haveintroduced a number of approaches such as providingmonetary benefits, and motivational programs toimprove contraceptive use among rural illiteratewomen. Under the Ammanpettai family welfare program,the Melatur PHC administered three program typesinvolving a combination of monetary and motivationalapproaches to improve contraceptive use in threetreatment areas. The program was introduced duringJanuary 1989 and was simultaneously discontinued aftera period of two years. The present evaluation wasconducted in 1994. Data from a random sample of 933non-sterilized women at the time of social surveyusing a questionnaire approach is used in this study. The implementation of incentive programs in asocio-economically homogenous population has resultedin an increase in the likelihood of current ofcontraceptive use. The results of this study suggestthat motivational programs are more likely to improvelong term use of temporary family planning methodsthan cash incentive programs. One implication of ourfinding is that motivational programs should provide peer based family planning education and training incommunity work to contact persons who make door todoor visits to promote family planning programs.