Review of Teachers Training for Primary Teachers in Balochistan, UNICEF Supported Project.
This study is a review of three teacher training programs: Primary Teachers Mentoring Program, Joyful Learning & Mobile Female Teacher Training Program. The study was contracted to the Sindh Education Foundation by the Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Center, Balochistan and UNICEF. The study entailed training review, assessment of the trainers, trainees and training institutions and training facilities and training material review. The team of the Sindh Education
Foundation conducted this study in Quetta with visits to districts. The purposes of the review were:
- To carry out reviews of the teacher trainings in relation to objectives and classroom learning situation.
- Submit a final report on the applicability of the trainings.
- Suggest required modifications in the trainings (design, materials and methodology).
The field work for this review was carried out from July 2003 to October 2003. The field work was divided into 2 visits, the first one took place in July and the second one in September. The data collection methodology for conducting training reviews was based on observing the training sessions and carrying out interviews and discussions with the stakeholders.
Conclusively, the actual school situation is a far cry from what the training sessions demand the teachers to do in schools. No where were teachers seen to be able to utilize their training knowledge. Lack of facilities in schools severely hampers the successful implementation of any progressive teaching method in schools. The teachers are apathetic towards any new techniques as they are very well aware as to whether they will be able to implement in their schools or not. The national problem of failing training programs is that neither are school situations improving nor teachers being provided with realistic and doable progressive teaching alternatives.
For the training programs to be successful right up to the classroom level it is important that all the important stakeholders should have regular coordination meetings and clearly demarcated job assignments. This includes the Department of Education, the donor (in this case the UNICEF), PITE and the BoC.
