2nd set of notes - principles, objectives

Four generations of extension in Asia
Extension services in modern Asia varies from country to country. General sequence of four periods can be summarized into”
• Colonial agriculture: Experimental stations established by colonizers with focus on certain export crops Technical advice was directed at landowners. Assistance to small, subsistent farmers was rare
• Diverse top-down extension: Also known as commodity-based extension services. Various schemes were initiated for the small farmers. Generated support from foreign donors.
• Unified top-down extension: World Bank introduced Training and Visit system (T&V) in the 70s and 80s. During the US era, national extension services were merged. Messages were regularly delivered to farmers. This is also the green revolution period
• Diverse bottom-up extension: With the end of WB, the T&V system collapsed. Participatory methods gradually replaced top-down approaches as a result of a more decentralized planning and a growing concern for sustainability and equity.
The support to extension has generally reduced. In fact, some have abandoned extension as a distinct concept, and prefer to think in terms of "knowledge systems" in which farmers are seen as experts rather than adopters. Therefore, agricultural extension, to be continuously relevant, needs to be reinvented as a professional practice.




UNIT 3
THE PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION


AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION EDUCATION
The term extension was first used in the United States of America in the first decade of this century to connote the extension of knowledge from the Land Grant Colleges to the farmers through the process of informal education. In India, the terms community development & extension education became more popular with the launching of Community Development Projects in 1952 & with the establishment of the National Extension Service in 1953. Since then, Community development has been regarded as a program for an all-round development of the rural people, & extension education as the means to achieve this objective.
Extension education is an applied behavioral science, the knowledge of which is applied to bring about desirable changes in the behavioral complex of human beings usually through various strategies & programs of change & by applying the latest scientific & technological innovations.
Extension education has now developed as a full-fledged discipline, having its own philosophy, objectives, principles, methods & techniques which must be understood by every extension worker & others connected with the rural development. It might be mentioned here that extension education, its principles, methods & techniques are applicable not only to agriculture but also to veterinary & animal husbandry, dairying, home science, health, family planning, etc. Based upon its application & use, various nomenclatures have been given to it, such as agricultural extension, veterinary & animal husbandry extension, dairy extension, home science extension, public health extension, & family planning extension.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FORMAL EDUCATION & EXTENSION EDUCATION
When extension education is put into action for educating the rural people, it does not remain formal education. In that sense, there are several differences between the two such as:
Formal education Extension education
1. The teacher starts with theory & works up to
practicals.
2. Students study subjects.
3. Students must adapt themselves to the fixed
curriculum offered.
4. Authority rests with the teacher.
5. Class attendance is compulsory.
6. Teacher instructs the students.
7. Teaching is only through instructors.
8. Teaching is mainly vertical.
9. The teacher has more or less homogeneous
audience.
10. It is rigid.
11. It has all pre-planned & pre-decided program

12. It is more theoretical.

1. The teacher (extension worker) starts with practicals & may
take up theory later on.
2. Farmers study problems.
3. It has no fixed curriculum or course of study & the farmers
help to formulate the curriculum.
4. Authority rests with the farmers.
5. Participation is voluntary.
6. Teacher teaches & also learns from the farmers.
7. Teaching is also through local leaders.
8. Teaching is mainly horizontal.
9. The teacher has a large & heterogeneous audience.

10. It is flexible.
11. It has freedom to develop programs locally & they are
based on the needs & expressed desires of the people.
12. It is more practical & intended for immediate application in
the solution of problems.

Objectives of Extension Education
The objectives of extension education are the expressions of the ends towards which our efforts are directed. The fundamental objective of extension education is the development of the people, to help the farmer become more productive through a) learning of functional technology to improve the productivity of the system, b) learning to effectively and efficiently utilize technology, and c) learning of social structures and processes to sustain and stimulate rural transformation (Sison, 1975).
Agricultural extension is also concerned with the following objectives:
1) the dissemination of useful & practical information relating to agriculture
(2) the practical application of useful knowledge to farm & home;and
(3) to improve all aspects of the life of the rural people within the framework of the national, economic & social policies involving the population as a whole.

Principles of extension education
[Principle is defined as a basic assumption; standard of moral or ethical decision-making (Encarta Encyclopedia, 2004)]
1. Principle of interest & need. Extension work must be based on the needs & interests of the people.
2. Principle of cultural difference. Extension work is based on the cultural background of the people with whom the
work is done. Improvement can only begin from the level of the people where they are.
3. Principle of participation. Extension helps people to help themselves. Good extension work is directed towards
assisting rural families to work out their own problems rather than giving them ready-made solutions
4. Principle of adaptability. People differ from each other. An extension programme should be flexible
5. The grass roots principle of organisation. The programme should fit in with the local conditions.
6. The leadership principle. Extension work is based on the full utilisation of local leadership. People have more faith in local leaders & they should be used to put across a new idea so that it is accepted with the least resistance.
7. The whole-family principle. Extension work will have a better chance of sucess if the extension workers have a whole-family approach instead of piecemeal approach or seperate & unintegrated approach.
8. Principle of co-operation. Extension is a co-operative venture. It is a joint democratic enterprise in which rural people co-operate with their village, block & state officials to pursue a common cause.
9. Principle of satisfaction. The end-product of the effort of extension teaching is the satisfaction that comes to the farmer, his wife or youngsters as the result of solving a problem, meeting a need, acquiring a new skill or some other changes in behaviour. Satisfaction is the key to sucess in extension work. "A satisfied customer is the best advertisement."
10. The evaluation principle. Extension is based upon the methods of science, & it needs constant evaluation. The effectiveness of the work is measured in terms of the changes brought about in the knowledge, skill, attitude & adoption behaviour of the people but not merely in terms of achievement of physical targets.