Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has expressed his satisfaction over providing professional training to more than 29000 / School’s teachers, faculty members and education managers and directed the authority concerned to expedite their work and ensure training to more 5000 / school teachers before the end of this financial year 2014-15 under the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded project.
The Chief Minister Sindh said that Sindh Govt considering the education as the 1st step towards progress and prosperity is planning more teachers training programmes and infrastructure development in education sector, and invited the CIDA to extend its investment for implementation on such programmes. This he said while presiding over the meeting to review the progress of the CIDA funded teachers training programme being run by provincial education department held at CM House.
The Senior Minister Sindh Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Principal Secretary to CM Allumuddin Bullo, Additional Chief Secretary Education Dr. Fazllullah Pechuho, Project Director CIDA funded project Rehan Iqbal Baloch, Mr. Robert (Bob) Snider First Secretary (Dev) Canadian High Commission and David Fournier Head of Aid Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) attended the meeting. Addressing the meeting the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah termed the teachers training very important to improve the standard of education and asked the officers of education department to accept this challenge, complete this running project and to ensure training to at least total 30,000 teachers by the end of this project in June 2015.
He directed the officers also to conceive and come up with another effective teachers training and infrastructure development project and expressed his optimism that Economic Affair Division to extend its full support to Sindh Govt in the move towards improvement of the standard of education.
The Chief Minister Sindh said that his Govt was giving top priority to the education sector and investing huge amount to spread qualitative education in the province. He assured that remaining project amount of Rs 512 million would shortly be released to the management concerned.
The Chief Minister also asked the Senior Minister Education to visit the teachers, training institutes, and schools to ascertain the impact of this training to the teachers.
While talking in the meeting the senior Minister Sindh for the Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, said that there were 43,000 primary schools in the province and he is planning to provide training at least to the head of each school for his professional skill development to improve the standard of education at grass root level.
He said that since education department has strength of 1, 50,000 school teachers out of which 99,000 are primary school teachers, needs huge investment for their qualitative training and the role of donor Agency in this regard could not be ignored.
The Additional Chief Secretary Education Dr. Fazllullah Pechuho, while briefing the meeting informed that actually this 5 years CIDA funded teachers training programme was launched in 2006-07 with Canadian debt swap money of Rs 1261 million but it could not be taken up properly as such it was two time extended for two years each and now it to be completed by the end of current financial year 2014-15.
The objective of this project was to strengthen the existing teachers training institution and infrastructure development. He said that in addition to training to teachers, computer labs have been established, furniture’s have been provided in all 42 teacher training institutes. He said that the provincial Education Department was also working to convert the PITE in to the University to provide all qualitative training to the teachers under one ceiling.
The project director to the CIDA funded teachers training project Rehan Iqbal Baloch while briefing the meeting informed that since 2006-07 to 2013 , as many as 21315 teaching personals including 15618 PST, 5397 JST, 180 faculty members and 120 district education officers/education managers have been provided training under this project. In addition to that more 3000 teachers were provided training during last months of April and June 2014.
He said that training to more 5000 teachers would be completed by the end of October 2014. He said that master trainers have been engaged in this training.
NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PPP & MQM ON BIFURCATION OF HEALTH & EDUCATION DEPARTMENTS SAYS NISAR AHMED KHUHRO
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: Senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said that there is no difference between PPP and MQM on the bifurcation of Health and Education Departments adding that bifurcation of the said department is not taken yet while it is being considered to bifurcate to improve the quality of services. He further said that MQM may have its own opinion but there is no difference between PPP & MQM.
This he said while talking to media after training certificates & scholarship award distribution among the PSTs & JSTs organized by Sindh Elementary Teachers Training Project at local hotel here today. He said that it is being considered to bifurcate education department into Primary & Higher Education for improvement on the management of Education facilities in Sindh.
He referred that Universities & Education Boards are working under the control of the Chief Minister Sindh while technical education is being managed by STEVTA.
Earlier, Addressing to the ceremony, the Senior Education Minister urged International Donor Agencies & Philanthropists to help Education Department in imparting training to 40 thousands Head Masters of Schools in Sindh so that quality education ensured to masses.
He said that government is committed to achieve millennium development goal and in this regard teachers training is very important.
Teacher who are the leader of nation and responsible for training of our children needed capacity building training.
He said that attitudes and behavior of teachers changes with the training & refresher courses which will be helpful to increase registration of children in schools and help decrease drop out.
He appreciated the role of Canadian Government for providing assistance for teachers training.
On the occasion the Secretary Education Dr. Fazalullah Pechuho has said that the government striving hard to counter challenges being faced by the education department which are multifaceted.
Quality Education is a biggest challenge, he said adding that training of teachers will play pivotal role in this regard. He said Sindh Government is taking measures to improve the standard of 42 teachers training institutions located all over the province.
He thanked Canadian Government for support and said that SIDA project started in 2006 with the loan of Canadian Government which was later converted into grants for improving quality of elementary schooling in province.
He informed that government has 512 Million Rupees in its kitty under SIDA Project which will be spent in fair and transparent manner for improvement of the education.
Counselor Development & Head of Aid Canada David Fornier said that Canada & Pakistan shared 60 years long term dedicated to stable and prosper future.
He said that Canada is supporting Pakistan primarily in three domains including stable economical development, advancement of democracy and investment in education & Health. He informed that Canada granted 132 Million Dollars Loan to Pakistan which is later converted into grant.
He said that we are supporting Sindh Government in improving quality of Elementary Schooling in the province and continue to support in future. On the occasion Project Director Sindh Elementary Teachers Training Project (CIDA) Rehan Iqbal Baloch, First Secretary Development Canada Robert (Bob) Sniders also present.
Later 39 Elementary School teachers were given scholarship awards while 39 Junior School Teachers and 25 Primary School teachers from all over the province given training Certificates.