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Text of RW article in 30 March issue, 2001.
The training of ringers, both initial instruction and subsequent development, is perhaps the single most important factor in achieving high quality ringing from our towers, high retention in our bands, and high satisfaction for individual ringers. Tower captains up and down the land invest hundreds of thousands of hours training ringers, to which are added the efforts of local societies, independent course organisers and the CC Education Committee.
Many trainers do excellent work in their own towers. Many others teach to the best of their ability but cannot do so well because no one has ever taught them how to teach. Many teach out of necessity because there is no one else to do it, but where can they turn for help or guidance?
Much has been done in recent years to help trainers. For example, in five years some 400 people have been through the CC Education Committee's Management, Teaching & Maintenance (MTM) courses, mostly run in conjunction with local associations. Some associations have also run courses on teaching, especially during the millennium activity.
The idea of a network of trainers first came from the education officers conference in 1995. The best we could do then was to circulate an address list to all participants. Of course that only went to a few dozen education officers.
The Network for Ringing Training (NRT) builds on that idea and extends it. NRT will link the much larger number of people who train ringers in their own towers, as well as those in associations and now ringing centres, who organise training events. It has the advantage over the 1995 'network' that we can now exploit electronic communication as well as more traditional means. We expect many people will use the network electronically, but there will be ample provision for those without E-mail.
The network will provide two services. It will let subscribers communicate (remotely) about anything connected with ringing training. They will be able to ask questions, seek information and discuss ideas in a wide community with similar interests. Last year we set up a discussion list for learners and teachers alike. It has been very successful, and the new Network will build on what has already started. Subscribers without E-mail will receive periodic summaries, notices, and other information. There will be a newsletter for all subscribers.
The second service will let subscribers know who other subscribers are, and in particular where they are. Anyone wishing to contact people who have declared their interest in training (by joining the Network) located within a reasonable distance, will be able to do so.
We hope this will encourage more local events for ringing trainers. NRT can help to publicise courses run by local associations or ringing centre (perhaps making some viable that might not have been for lack of numbers) and we hope that contacts enabled by the network will encourage other ways of getting together to help each other and share ideas.
Not everyone wishes to progress or develop their skills, but by putting those who are motivated in touch with each other, we hope to create a critical mass, so that more will be done for and by trainers. If we can stimulate a strong local focus, perhaps new, innovative ways to develop training skills will emerge.
The CC Education Committee provides the network. NRT will give ringing trainers a more direct link to the committee, as well as putting them in touch with each other. We hope they will tell us about their needs, and how we could help provide for them. We will keep them informed of the other training related services that we, and others can offer them.
We have set up the network to help raise the profile of training as a distinct activity within ringing and to help ringing trainers. If you have any queries about the network, or would like to help make it a success, please contact me.
You can subscribe to NRT by e-mail, on the web, or by post. Return to NRT for full details.
If you care about the quality of ringing training - your own or that of others - then please join NRT. The more subscribers there are, the better it will work for everyone.
Barrie Dove, Chairman CC Education Committee