Dear Bee-Liners,

       I would like to represent my ideas how can be organized
beekeeping education. I have done some work on that here in Slovene.
Slovenian Beekeeping Association have organized education courses for
masters of beekeeping based on similar program in Austria. Actually part
of those courses will be provided by Austrian Beekeeping School. We are
very glad to have their support. I'm also involved in recent education
of slovene beekeepers. I had some courses about bee biology and honey
sources.

   I recognized that it is very difficult to prepare good lectures for
all beekeeping courses by one person. On the other hand there is a huge
knowledge all over the world which could be brought together. But before
starting a campaign for collection and creation of beekeeping courses it
is necessary to discus actual  work of professional beekeepers. Some are
calling that analysis of work. I think Bee-L group is a proper place,
perhaps the best, to discuss about that. I would like to invite you on
special pages created for that purpose. Go to:
http://rcul.uni-lj.si/~bfbee/slobeek.html
and follow link for Beekeeping education center.


I'm representing here the outline of the proposed project, which I would
like to be discussed first.
========
Outline of the project

This outline is based on our local preparations of educational program
for professional beekeepers
(more). If we really want to get a good educational program we have to
start with analysis of
work. This analysis is a foundation for collecting all necessary
knowledge in knowledge database.
After that it is possible to prepare lectures, which should provide
enough information, that students
can get all needed knowledge. Some lectures has to be oriented as much
practical  as possible.
Most of the practical manipulations can be shown properly with
multimedia lectures. Even though
such educational program can not solely be based on study lectures. It
still have to provide some
practical demonstration and practice at the apiary with the help of
experience beekeepers who are
masters of beekeeping.
Before starting with analysis of work, knowledge database and
determination of lectures and actual
lecture preparation it would be useful to follow some kind of directives
which describe how an
educational program has to be built up and executed that the student can
obtain also official title like
"expert in beekeeping" or "master of beekeeping". In Slovenia we
followed austrian educational
program which is claimed to fit with Europe Union directives. I hope
there are others who can help
in following different kind of directives in education. It would be very
practical that such education
program will be harmonized with most of the educational systems in the
world or, at list, it can be
adopted to the local standards.

This project can be started with
A) Formal aspects of beekeeping education
    I would not spent too much time on that. Most important is that the
program can give enough
knowledge that student can start managing his own bee colonies and grow
up in professional
beekeeper. It would be also nice that such program would be accepted by
officials that individuals
would be able to pass official examinations. I'd like to get information
about other countries.
B) Analysis of work
This part is not difficult, at list for professional beekeepers. I have
translated our version of analysis
of work (major titles without detailed description, see more). I would
like to get corrections and
suggestions from professionals.

After finishing of this two steps, project can be continued with
building of knowledge database (see
more) and further with preparation of lectures. I'm counting again on
professional beekeepers in
building of knowledge database. Lectures have to be prepared by experts
in specific fields. It will be
nice to find or create lectures for all topics related to bees,
beekeeping and bee products. For some
more general knowledge, like how to operate small business, can be
linked some existed lectures or
educational programs. This links can be searched when we will be in the
phase of lectures
preparation. Some of that can be done also during knowledge database
creation.
===========

I'm looking for your comments.