KARACHI, June 9: The final phase of in-service training programme for the master trainers under the Sindh Middle School Project concluded on Saturday at the National Institute of Public Administration.
Sindh Education Minister Prof Anita Ghulam Ali while speaking at the closing ceremony praised the collective efforts of the Middle School Project’s team for organizing the training workshop and the Asian Development Bank for providing financial assistance for the project.
She expressed satisfaction over the proper utilization of all the funds allocated for training of teachers, saying that “now for the first time in the history we have not only provided adequate funds for teachers’ training, but have also been successful in managing all the planned activities.”
The minister disclosed that during her tenure, she has intentionally neglected the private sector educational institutions and tried to focus the attention of education department on improving the standard and quality of government schools.
“These training programmes are part of our efforts to improve the standard and quality of public schools in the province and now it is up to the trained faculty to work with dedication and sincerity,” she added.
Stressing the need for having mastery over both natural as well as social sciences and other branches of knowledge, she urged teachers to ensure 100 per cent participation in classrooms.
“In addition to physical presence, mental presence is pivotal for both the trainer and his students during a lecture,” she observed.
In view of devolution plan, the role of the master trainers has become significant as a huge sum of amount is lying unutilized in various defunct districts of Karachi, mainly allocated for providing educational facilities at public schools, she said, adding that under the devolution plan, those funds could be utilized now.
Highlighting the importance of community participation in the process, she asserted that there was a need to create awareness in the community regarding ownership of public educational institutions. “Every property belonging to the government is actually a property of people and community and it is their responsibility to protect and maintain it.”
She asked the master trainers to initiate a trend of originating research at grassroots level, at their schools and even in classrooms, so that students could feel familiar with modern educational techniques.
MSP project manager Talat Jaskani, additional secretary education Prof Anwar Ahmed Zai, EDO (education) Prof Rais Alvi, director MSP Mehmood Ali Lakho and others also spoke.
Over 80 master trainers from rural and urban areas of the province have so far been trained in this phase, who would further impart teaching techniques to more than some 2,084 head teachers belonging to all districts of the province.
The second phase of training is being conducted at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Sukkur.
The teachers’ training programme, titled “Training of Teachers and Organizers in Profession”, has been initiated by the Sindh Education Department.
Later, the minister distributed certificates and awards among the resource persons and the participants.—PPI
