By Aynur Bashirli, Zeynal Mammadli and Rudie van Meurs / POLDERPERS.NL

The two local trainers and the Dutch trainer, regularly came together to have discussions about the course and the way to continue. They came with several proposals to do better. The director of the school mostly joined the meetings.

In order to achieve a better discipline, more attention for the trainers and more lively discussions we suggest to install a special lecture-room apart from the computer room.
Our experience is that students lose their attention as soon as they install and hide themselves behind the computers, playing and watching the screen and not listening to the trainers. Some electricity cuts last week were a good moment to find out how attitude changes without computers.

It will be good to install on a fixed place a timetable in the school. The best is of course to mention all the teaching hours, the teachers/trainers students can expect, the different subjects they intend to teach, the guest lecturers who will come in the three months training. We suggest to make a general timetable for the three months (syllabus) and a specific one on Monday for the rest of the week.

May be it is wise to stipulate in the syllabus, that the school will emphasize practical journalism. We will simulate during classes an editorial room with an editor and reporters(students). We will start with editorial meetings. Students will be challenged to come every morning to that meeting with ideas about subjects. Therefore they will sharpen their creativity. They have to read newspapers, listen to the radio and watch television in order to know what is going on. Later on they will have assignments based on the ideas they brought in.

We have to create discipline. Start at ten o’clock means really ten o’clock. As we told students, journalism is a deadline-business. In school they start to learn to got use to deadlines, starting to be in time. Students also have to know that the school can ill spare them. To have successful schooldays means everyone is needed. As soon someone does not show up or comes too late, alarm bells ring literally: telephone calls for the students that they have to be present.

We will stimulate the students to make notes during lessons. Because there are hardly any good books in Azeri about ‘journalism’, the students themselves have to write down what trainers tell. At the end of every month there will be tests to examine what remained in memory. Making notes, students also will learn that a good journalist always is accompanied by his notebook.

In general, students especially like to be taught practical. Therefore during the three months during course, we will set out to make three newspapers – at the end of every month a new one. In this way students automatically will learn to got use to deadlines, to write, to interview, etcetera. Of course theoretically lessons are important but in driblets and with room for discussion, the students like.

Because the art of interviewing in Azerbaijan hardly exists and governments nor political parties appreciate critical questioning, it is useful that with the help of people from outside students will learn in role plays how to operate as good journalists. So they can be taught to be open and how to question frank and free and if it is necessary rebellious and critical.

Criteria for selection of the students in next courses, have to be better formulated. In general students who are admitted, must be higher educated, more mature also. A completed study at the university is an advantage. Also knowledge of English will help to pass criteria to enter school. To pass, candidates will be asked to write a five hundred words story in the class room of the school. They can also be brought to a special event with the assignment to make a story. They must also have the ability to formulate why they like to enter journalism.

Because ambition of the school is practical work – journalists belong in the street – it will be a good idea to reserve some money as travel expenses. What also belongs in a school of journalism is a reading g table with local newspapers and magazines and international newspapers.

Aynur Bashirli
Zeynal Mammadli
Rudie van Meurs