Abstract:
The central focus of this study is to evaluate the extension
training program at Comilla Thana Training and Development Center (TTDC).
This center is conceived as an experimental attempt where the thana
level officers of nation building departments serve as teachers and
village cooperative society representatives called managers and model
farmers serve as extension agents by attending continuous weekly training
programs at TTDC. They maintain liaison between TTDC teachers and
farmer-members of village societies. Data were collected through personal
interviews using three different interview schedules designed for
TTDC teachers, village representatives and farmer-members. Twenty-five
village societies were selected randomly and the managers and model
farmers of each selected village along with two randomly selected farmer-
members were included for interview. All eligible teachers at TTDC
were interviewed.
Five objectives were set for investigation - the relevance of
subject-matter; strengfus,weaknesses and needed changes in the training
program; process of feedback; 'methods of training and the conditions
necessary for successful role performance by teachers.
The study reveals the fact that the relevance of the subject-matter
is not consistent. On one hand, more training time is spent o~ topics
which are not high in priority of the trainees' choice, and on the other,
eighty per cent of the farmers do not find adequate answers to their
'. questions. The 'manager-model farmer' approach is appreciated by all
groups, but the low level of teachers' knowledge, the lack of facilities
for conducting effective training classes, and administrative inefficienciesare
mentioned as major weaknesses in the 'training program. The
process of feedback between the teachers and village representatives and
between the village representatives and farmer-members seems to be
reasonably effective. The training methods believed by teachers to be
effective are not used by them for lack of facilities. Economic hardship
is mentioned by the teachers to be the major impediment in their
successful role performance.
The findings of the study reflect a set of deteriorating conditions
in the training activities at Comi11a which further may signal a trend
of worsening conditions in the whole Comi11a program. The pipeline from
where the knowledge used to flow from the TTDC to the villages in early / '
years has now stopped due to failure in the production of new information.
More collaboration with research institutes is needed to solve
farmers' problems and produce new information. The findings also suggest
that the curriculum of the training program needs to be changed to
incorporate the priority the trainees desire. Training, being a part of
the rural development program of Comi11a, i,tneeds to reinvigorate the
/
system levels at Comi11a and revitalize the institutional approach in
order to have impact not only in training activities, but also the whole
Comi11a program.
