A new program funded by USAID, called Pre-STEP (Pre-Service Teachers Education Program), was launched on Tuesday, July 21st, 2009, to improve the quality of education in Punjab. The $75 million initiative involves Punjab’s Ministry of Education, the Higher Education Commission, and the Federal Ministry of Education. [Note: STEP is not affiliated with this program]
The USAID Pakistan Mission Director Robert Wilson commented,
“We all recognized the great need for improving the skills and qualifications of new teachers in order for Pakistan’s overall education system to improve. We are committed to supporting Pakistan in its education reforms…notably, we plan to develop closer ties with Punjab province on education programs specifically, and on broader development issues, especially in southern Punjab.”
The scope of programs like this should also include school leadership, i.e., some training for principals and administrators on best practices and goals. Proactive leadership can induce and sustain quality in schools, whereas as stodgy administration will have a continual downward drag and can discourage enterprise on the part of motivated teachers.
In any case, this is an excellent initiative, and hopefully details of the program will be forthcoming.
I think its about time that HEC looks into introducing teacher training [degree awarding] programs in all major universities based on modern curricula on the pattern of Education programs in the U.S. universities. Many Pakistani colleges and some universities do offer B. Ed. and M. Ed. programs, however they seem to be outdated and are not popular among the students. The teacher hiring committees and school administrations also don’t seem to place emphasis on hiring people with these degrees.
In my opinion, HEC should try to 1) revamp/modernize the existing education courses, 2) try to increase the number of public universities offering these courses and 3) highlight the usefulness of such programs.
I totally agree with Omar Javaid’s comment on HEC making sure that the outdated B.Ed and M.Ed are no longer available and the new BS/BA Ed four year course (like a Engineering or Medical degree in education for F.A and F.Sc entrants) initiated by HEC should be properly monitored and instituted in ALL universites across Pakistan.
As it is, the BS/BA Ed programme is being tampered with and made into a 2 year or 3 year programme by some universities and so forth or just the one year B.Ed made into a continuing degree to suit some.
The focus should be on UNIFORMITY of degree status by HEC, withdrawing of old syllabi in teacher education and an awaremness and orientation programme to be held in universites(cluster method can be used) to desseminate this information. Award of degree and its standardisation be on a national level testing system with examiners from across the board.
Simultaneously, a one year Certification Course for new entrants(normal B.A or M.A) be devised as a post graduate programme (new curricula as Omar Javaid suggests) and no teacher be accepted into a teaching job without it.Again, this should be across the board and for all the provinces.
HEC must take reponsibility to make Teacher Education work in its new format and do it on an emergency basis.
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I really really appiciate the efforts for pre service teachers educa ction but what about the huge number of teachers in private sector? being a phD schola can I want to take research on this issue who will guid me?
hi
i m nadeem ahmad the head teacher of central model school khanewal.i want our students will get awareness knowledge retated to challenging environment of world.it is the right of every student to keep pace with the flow of science and technology in the modern world.they shoud know the cultures languages of other countries.they shoud make link with the advanced countries of world.i hope for the best in this concern.thanks.