14 May 2004	Friday	23 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, May 13: The education ministry will set up teacher training centres throughout the country where educators trained in the US will be recruited to educate teachers at the local level.

This was stated by Federal Education Minister Zobaida Jalal here on Thursday. She was speaking after being briefed by the delegation of the Academy of Education (AED) on the Pakistan Teachers Education and Professional Development Programme (PTEPDP). This project is being funded by USAID whereby 250 master trainers and teacher educators will be trained in the US universities.

Two groups of teacher educators, comprising 21 principals/vice principals and 14 master trainers, have already returned after successfully completing their training at the University of Montana, USA.

The next group of 26 science teacher educators is leaving for the US on May 17. "The present government has fulfilled its promise and commitment by sending school and college teachers to the US and other developed countries for further state-of-the-art teacher training," she said.

This rare opportunity could be of immense importance not only for the teachers but also for the entire student community, she said. During the briefing, Ms Jalal reviewed the selection criteria of the teachers and said the criteria and merit should be implemented in letter and spirit.

She also admired the role of the provinces for nominating teachers according to the prescribed criteria. She told the AED delegation that representation to all the provinces, FATA, Azad Kashmir and the federal area was ensured while selecting the teachers for training.

She maintained that the objective of the scheme was to increase the base of skilled, high performing teachers in Pakistan by building the capacity of teacher-training institutions, especially government elementary colleges.

Ms Jalal said under this capacity-building project, the teacher educators would receive training in teaching, pedagogy, planning, leadership, communication and computer skills. They will also have an opportunity to visit the US schooling system and other teachers training facilities.

She termed the step as a milestone in the country's education sector where, besides university lecturers and professors, college and school teachers would also be going abroad to equip themselves with the latest teaching methods.

The minister along with the US ambassador to Pakistan would see off another group of teachers to the US on Friday at the Academy for Educational Development and Management, Ministry of Education.

Briefing the education minister, Iqbal Jatoi of the AED Pakistan said the academy would arrange training of 100 more teachers in August this year. He said the AED was the only implementing agency for a three-year USAID-funded PTEPDP.

APP ADDS: Education Minister Zobaida Jalal said all teachers would be properly assessed by their respective provincial education departments in their respective subjects upon their completion of training from the US.

She said the teachers should not take this life-time learning chance as a pleasure trip rather use it to bring a positive attitudinal change in the entire educational system of the country.