LAHORE, Aug 19: The Punjab government is set to launch the University of Education on Aug 28 to provide academic support to the public sector in-service teachers in the province.

The university’s launching was deferred for a month as the Punjab governor was least convinced by the presentation of the Directorate of Staff Development (DSD) director on July 22.

In a meeting chaired by the Punjab governor at the Governor’s House on Monday, it was decided that the new university would conduct functional research regarding teaching methodology and curriculum development and act as a ‘House of Research’ for its constituent colleges.

It will also offer research facilities to the private sector teachers having masters degree in education and the graduates planning to join teaching as a profession.

At present, three institutes/departments of education of universities, six government colleges of education (GCEs), 36 government colleges for elementary teachers (GCETs), and the DSD, Lahore, are extending teacher training in the province.

It is learnt that all GCEs and GCETs will become the constituent colleges of the university after being renamed as University Colleges of Education (UCEs) and University Colleges for Elementary Teachers (UCETs).

Similarly, the Provincial Institute of Teacher Education (PITE) will also become part of the university and renamed as the Division of On-line and Distance Education of the University of Education.

The DSD will be split into four divisions for continuous professional development, science and mathematics education, languages and social sciences, and administrative and financial matters.

The Educational Management Information System (EMIS) will also be renamed as Punjab Education Network (PEN) to develop data bank of the education department and academic information.

The officials concerned told Dawn on Monday that the government colleges of education had never been used effectively to strengthen and improve total academic landscape of public schools. They said that cumulative efforts of the government teacher training institutions could quickly multiply professional resources to reinvent and invigorate classroom culture of inquiry and creativity.

The officials said the University of Education is being created with an objective to promote total quality in pre-service and school-based in-service teacher education with deeper emphasis on pedagogical skills. It will also work to promote quality-focused research in teacher education and produce leaders and specialists in various areas of education.

The governor’s meeting was also told that the Rs710 million budget allocated to the PITE would now be spent through the University of Education. The meeting also decided to use the DSD building at Wahdat Road as main campus of the university.