LUMS Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education (SOE) invited representatives from British Council, Mr. John Shackleton, Director English for Education Systems (EES) and Ms. Arzu Daniel, Director English on December 4, 2018 for a session on their training initiatives in Punjab.
Mr. Shackleton explained the details of his specific project called PEELI (Punjab Education and English Language Initiative), which focuses on teacher competency. He identified a few problems in the education sector, such as lack of child centered learning, lack of inclination towards activity-based learning and poor conditions of government schools. To overcome these challenges, he explained that school based CPD (Continuing Professional Development) programme was designed to enhance teacher's professional development. The programme caters to the needs of professional development in teachers, informs the needs of schools and cultivates essence of quality-teaching.
Ms. Daniel who has been working for private education sector for Pakistan, in collaboration with British Council, talked about teacher education in the private education sector in Pakistan. She focused on some critical issues at hand, that involved main training requirements of the private education sector and providing access to teachers through the digital platform. She shared that she works for out-of-school children and emphasised that being a teacher enlightens a person with resources available, motivation of ones co-workers and needs of students. She also added that this experience makes one strong through the difficulties of implementing change.
Mr. Shackleton and Ms. Daniel who are playing their role in the journey of education reform are the source of motivation to students who look forward to pursuing the same pattern.