Dear Readers,

Please check out our new Opinion Poll on The importance of Academic Performance and cast your vote by the end of May 2013. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our April 2013 poll was about Public Posting of Students’ Grades:

Students’ grades should not be posted publicly because it leads to situations which could be humiliating and awkward for those who haven’t done well.

• I agree. Grades do not reflect students’ capabilities. Public announcements of grades demoralise a child who is already feeling bad about not doing well and leads to teasing and other forms of bullying (89%, 73 Votes)

• I disagree. Public announcements of grades help students know where they stand in relation to others. Students will work harder to improve their grades if they know that results will be announced (11%, 9 Votes)

An overwhelming majority (89%) of the respondents believe that grades should not be announced publicly, because it is detrimental to the self esteem of students who have not done well. On the other hand, only 11% of the respondents feel that grades should be publicised, because they believe that the ensuing competition spurs students to compete and try harder next time.

TRC & CTC to Work on Paths to School Success Project in Jamshoro

From April 2013, TRC will commence the ‘Paths to School Success’ project, using the ‘Child to Child Approach’ in collaboration with the Child-to-Child Trust (CTC), London, with financial support from the DFID-Global Poverty Action Fund (GPAF).

Paths to School Success will work with eight school communities in Jamshoro, Sindh. The project will aim for higher enrolment, retention and learning achievement using the CTC approach towards learning, pedagogy and community involvement.

TRC is responsible for overall project implementation including teacher training and community involvement, following technical support from CTC for training of Master Trainers and the development of the Project Toolkit. The American Institutes for Research will carry out a longitudinal research study with baseline and final assessments of the entire project and its sustainability.

Professional Development at Bangalore Town School

On request from the Bangalore Town School, TRC conducted a 50-hour Active Learning workshop at their premises during January and February 2013.

TRC Workshop leaders, Uzma Rauf and Tabinda Jabeen conducted the workshop, which catered to sixteen teachers, fifteen from the primary and one from the secondary section.

The wide-ranging workshop was used to introduce teachers to the National Curriculum for Early Childhood Education (2007), theories of child development and developmentally appropriate practices.

The teachers were supported in setting up the environment for active learning and were guided on rethinking their role as a teacher in a child-centred learning environment. It was exciting to see the teachers actively engaging in discussions, exchanging views and raising questions about the ideas and concepts that were relatively new to them.

Towards the end of the session, it was heart-warming to hear the teachers sharing the changes that they had made in their classrooms and the satisfying results that they had achieved, which spurred them on to want to make bigger and more lasting changes in their classrooms and school. One teacher, Khadija, who is a subject teacher for several classes, said that the training sessions made her think about her attitudes and her behaviour with her own children too. She said that she felt the workshop had changed the way she interacts with children forever.

Launching Ceremony of ASER Pakistan – 2012

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) Pakistan – 2012 was launched in Sindh on January 31, 2013 in Karachi. The launching ceremony of the fourth report was organised by the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) in collaboration with Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and the South Asia Forum for Education Development.

In her opening remarks, Professor Anita Ghulam Ali, Managing Director, SEF hoped that the report would have an impact on government and other stakeholders enabling them to take action and attain milestones of quality education. Baela Raza Jamil, Director Programmes, ITA shared the highlights and findings of the survey.

The chief guest, Dr Fazlullah Pechuho, Secretary Education & Literacy, Government of Sindh, highlighted governance issues. Following his speech, Aziz Kabani, Director SEF chaired a panel discussion on assessing the current situation. The panellists put forward their suggestions in which they emphasised the role of the government and the need for civil society to get involved.

Annual Sports Day at Fatimiyah Girls’ School

TRC was invited by the Fatimiyah Girls’ School to attend their Annual Sports Day 2013 and prize distribution ceremony on Tuesday 29 January 2013. The event was held at the Pakistan Sports Board Centre in Karachi. Seema Yasmin represented TRC on the occasion. Taekwondo black-belter and legal advisor of the Sindh Taekwondo Association, Tabinda Paracha, was the chief guest.

Contribution to Shape New Pakistan Education Policy Document

TRC contributed to the Pakistan Country Report for the ‘Shape Pakistan Education Policy’ initiative. The UN and the World Bank through a Civil Society Consultative Process are jointly preparing the report. The Children’s Global Network Pakistan took responsibility for soliciting stakeholders’ views through a questionnaire. If you are interested in the questions, write to us and we will forward them to you.

Completing the questionnaire required TRC staff to conduct some background research on the National Education Policy and several other survey reports on the status of education in Sindh. The information and TRC staff’s personal views on improving the education system was compiled and emailed by February 14, 2013.

Policy Dialogue on Career Counselling for Youth

On February 13, 2013 the Youth Affairs Department, Government of Sindh organised an event on careers for youth in Karachi. Seema Yasmin represented TRC at the event, which was a policy-level dialogue on the significance of career counselling.

Career Counselling for Youth is a collaborative project of the Youth Affairs Department and the organisation, Capacity Builder. The venture facilitates and supports youth in choosing career options and is aimed at students in graduate institutes, intermediate colleges and schools.

The event began with Mansoor Vindhani, Director, Capacity Builder, who highlighted the history and achievements of the project. The panel discussion focused on a variety of ideas for career counselling in educational institutes. Provincial Minister for Youth Affairs, Faisal Sabzwari was the chief guest at the event; he talked about improving the standard of education all over Pakistan and about the need to guide the youth of our country.

BVS High School Organises 152nd Annual Secondary Sports Day

On February 23, 2013, the senior section of BVS School held its Sports Day at the Karachi Parsi Institute in Karachi. Nighat Hasan represented TRC at what was the school’s 152nd Annual Secondary Sports Day. Dr Bernadette L. Dean, the principal St. Joseph’s College for Women was the chief guest at the event.

BVS’ high school students participated enthusiastically in the various contests, which included several traditional Sports Day games such as tyre rolling, hurdle race, band race and tug-of-war. Parents were also invited to the event.

Celebrating the Passage of Sindh Provincial Bill (Article 25-A)

On February 27, 2013 the Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh and UNESCO organised an event in Karachi to celebrate the historic passage of the Sindh Provincial Bill on the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2013, and the Road Map to the Future. Tabinda Jabeen represented TRC at the event, which was attended by parliamentarians, educationists and government officials, UNESCO and UNICEF representatives and civil society. As the Act stands unanimously passed by the Sindh Assembly, the focus now is on its implementation in letter and spirit, which needs to be underlined and actively advocated. The objectives of arranging the seminar were to bring together stakeholders for creating momentum towards the implementation of the Act.

The event began with welcome remarks by UNESCO representative, Dr Kozue Kay Nagata. She congratulated the Government of Sindh on passing the bill, adding that it is the government’s responsibility to implement the law. She also emphasised that UNESCO will support the Education Department in monitoring its implementation. In his speech, Dr Fazlullah Pehchoho, Secretary Education Sindh, said that the Government of Sindh would commence work on the bill by recruiting 25,000 teachers and by setting up school monitoring committees. He added that school budgets would be allocated in line with this bill.

The guest speakers congratulated the government and noted that the bill is very comprehensive and its goals should be to face the challenges such as expanding access, improving retention and governance and providing quality education. They suggested analysing past laws to understand why they had failed. Speakers also recommended starting a campaign to raise awareness and create public demand for quality education. The chief guest, Senior Minister for Education, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq acknowledged the contribution of educationists and UNESCO and praised their commitment and effort in drafting the bill.

Evaluation at Shahwilayat Public School

In response to a request received from the trustees of Shahwilayat Public School, Rubina Naqvi from TRC commenced an evaluation programme at the school in February 2013. The areas determined for evaluation by the management were: classroom management, discipline and marking of students’ work.

A total of 26 teachers from Classes 1 to 3 are being observed, as identified by the school management. Marking of students’ written work is also being reviewed in their notebooks.

The programme is presently underway, and will conclude in May 2013. Visits are being made to the school to observe teaching practice in the classroom. At the end of the programme, a report with findings and recommendations will be submitted to the management.

Professional Development Programme at The Intellect School

The trustees of The Intellect School also requested TRC for a programme to promote the professional development of their teachers. The programme commenced in February with an evaluation and will conclude in April 2013. Currently, Rubina Naqvi is carrying out a series of classroom observations with a focus on: lesson planning, classroom management, teaching methodology and assessment.

A total of 25 teachers who teach Nursery to Class VII have been identified for the programme. Each teacher will be observed twice, followed by a feedback session. The observations and individual feedback will be followed by a workshop that will highlight the good practices observed and will explore areas for school and teacher improvement. A report will be submitted at the end of the programme, highlighting the findings and recommendations.

External Evaluation of the Catholic Education Board Schools

TRC was recently approached to co-conduct an external evaluation of the Programme Office Education of the Catholic Education Board, on behalf of Misereor Germany. Amima Sayeed represented TRC as local consultant along with an international consultant, Dr Heinrich Heinrichs from Germany. All six dioceses, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Karachi and Multan were visited while discussions with office bearers of the Quetta dioceses were carried out in Karachi owing to security issues. The purpose of the evaluation was to gauge the impact of Misereor financial support extended to the Programme Office Education for infrastructure development, in-service training and provision of computer and science lab equipment to Catholic Schools across Pakistan. Starting in February, the evaluation concluded in March with the submission of a report highlighting key recommendations and new directions for strengthening the Catholic Board Education System.

Annual Comparative and International Education Society Conference

TRC contributed to a panel presentation on “Crafting an ECD Goal in the post 2015 development agenda – making a case for sustained gains for access, quality and citizenship – Lessons from Asia” at the 57th Annual Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Conference, held in New Orleans, Louisiana from March 10-15, 2013. The panel included Baela Raza Jamil from ITA and ASER, Junko Miyahara from ARNEC and Amima Sayeed from TRC.

The Education Support Programme of the Open Society Foundation, facilitated participation in the conference. Unfortunately, Amima Sayeed could not travel because of visa hitches, but Fatima Zahra made the TRC presentation on her behalf. The panels’ findings and recommendations were well received by the audience.

It is being discussed that a National level dialogue should be organized once the newly elected government is in place, to push for ECCE policy implementation in the post-18th Amendment scenario.

Sindh Basic Education Programme MIS Dissemination Conference

On March 27, 2013, TRC was invited to the dissemination conference of the Sindh Basic Education Programme Management Information System (MIS), a programme run through USAID funding to the Government of Sindh for school consolidation and support. Amima Sayeed represented TRC.

The purpose of the dissemination event was to share how iMMAP has completed a comprehensive mapping exercise of all schools in the following districts of northern Sindh: Jacobabad; Sukkur, Khairpur, Qambar-Shadad Kot, Kashmore, Dadu, Larkana and the following towns in Karachi: Gadap, Lyari, Orangi, Kemari, and Bin Qasim.

In addition to mapping, a Graphical User Interface (GUI) portal has been developed that is accessible to multiple users for various applications. This portal allows access to geo-databases with information on all schools in these districts/towns. The portal has been developed in consultation with RSU/SEMIS staff and can be viewed at the following link:

http://sbep.gos.pk

On the basis of this mapping exercise, USAID is making recommendations to the GoS Programme Steering Committee for school consolidation, upgrading and merging of campuses in accordance with the GoS policy on school consolidation for the seven districts and five towns.

At the event, Naveed Sheikh of the Reform Support Unit and Dr Randy Hatfield of USAID, explained that the need for school consolidation is critical to ensure better governance and effective use of public finance for running a quality public education system. At present, there are over 50, 000 schools in Sindh and a majority of these are two-room schools in a dilapidated condition. Undertaking this exercise will cut down operational expenses significantly; resulting in bigger and better managed schools. Dr Hatfield shared that IMMAP’s initiative started as a baseline in order to figure out which schools to consolidate. However, it has transformed itself into a full-fledged information portal openly accessible to policy makers and practitioners for informed reforms and decisions.

Mr Parvaiz Sehar, Special Secretary Education also spoke at the occasion highlighting the commitment of the Government of Sindh to undertake education programmes, which had been well thought out for the improvement of the public education system. He also invited comments and feedback on the School Consolidation Policy, as there is room for improving the implementation process.

The Indus Academy Adopts Active Learning

Following a series of meetings to discuss professional development and school improvement, The Indus Academy requested TRC to help them train their ECE teachers from pre-school to Class 1.

A 50-hour workshop on Active Learning, conducted by Uzma Rauf, commenced at the school premises on March 25, 2013. A total of 22 teachers, nine from Grade I and 13 from the preschool are attending the workshop, which will end in April. In May, the workshop will be repeated with another group of teachers.

The workshop, which has been tailored to meet the school’s needs, will focus on child development, brain development, theories related to children’s learning and development, DAP (developmentally appropriate practices) and principles and beliefs of quality ECE programmes, that are highlighted in the National Curriculum for Early Childhood Education 2007.

This participative, hands-on workshop, which consists of brainstorming, interactive lectures, assigned readings, role-play, pair and group activities, is the first step in empowering the Indus Academy teachers to implement the Active Learning philosophy in their classrooms.

TRC Conducts PARCO Workshop in Faisalabad

On March 27-28, 2013, TRC conducted a nine-hour workshop, titled ‘How Children Learn’ for the teachers of public sector schools supported by PARCO’s CSR Programme in Faisalabad.

Nighat Hasan and Tabinda Jabeen facilitated a diverse group of 28 female teachers working with different age groups of children and adults. This turned out to be quite a challenge, since our brief was, training for primary school teachers. When teachers from the Government Polytechnic College and teachers of graduate students also turned up, some quick problem solving and revising of the workshop plan had to be done; once teachers arrive at the workshop venue, it is best to include them and make them feel welcome.

The workshop focussed on Child Development, the Learning Environment and the Teacher’s Role and Responsibilities. Given participants’ needs, the child development milestones and introduction to effective learning environment principles were extended to include older students too. According to the participants, the workshop was well organised and they got an opportunity to share their views and ideas. Different strategies such as group discussion think-pair- share, brainstorming and presentations were used, which can be replicated in their classrooms too. Some of the participants commented that the duration of the workshop was very short, and they did not have enough discussion on children’s behaviour. They requested a workshop on character building and more teaching strategies for adult learners.

This was the third in a series of four workshops requested by PARCO. The first workshop was conducted at the TRC premises in Karachi and the second was conducted in Mehmood Kot, Muzaffargarh. (Please see News Bulletin October – December 2012 for details). Following this workshop in Faisalabad, the fourth workshop will be conducted in Shikarpur in April 2013.

Dear Readers,

Please check out our new Opinion Poll on Public Announcement of Grades and cast your vote by the end of April 2013. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our March 2013 poll was about Open-book tests and exams:

Tests and exams should be open-book, because they focus on understanding the material at a higher level, rather than testing a student’s memory and recall.

• I agree. Open book tests teach you how to find information when you need it. The questions are designed to teach students how to think; they have to prepare differently for these tests. (76%, 55 Votes)

• I disagree. Open-book tests take the rigour out of test preparation and let students off the hook. Students put more effort into studying for a traditional test and so learn the material better. (24%, 17 Votes)

Those who think that tests and exams should be open-book won this poll by a big margin. Over 3/4 of the respondents feel that open book tests and exams are a more effective means of assessing students’ understanding and learning, rather than traditional closed-book tests that stress on memory and recall.  The remaining 1/4 voters believe that the rigour that is part of traditional testing, is essential for learning.

Dear Friends,

It is wonderful to see the overwhelming response to TRC’s Film Club screening of Whale Rider. We are now fully booked for the screening on Saturday, 6 April, 2013 and cannot take any more bookings on that date.

However,  if you are still interested in attending the screening you can call Zaeem at the TRC reception on 3539-2976 or 3539-4059, and leave your name(s) and contact number and we will get back to you to set another date if there are more than 15 interested people.

Thank you for making TRC’s Film Club a tremendous success. Our interactive sessions are fast becoming popular for enhancing the teaching-learning experience that films have to offer and have been used very effectively with heads, teachers and now with students.

We hope to continue to screen well-made, quality films and have many more thought-provoking discussions at the TRC Film Club. See you soon!

Dear Readers,

Please check out our new Opinion Poll on Open-Book Tests and Exams and cast your vote by the end of March 2013. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our February 2013 poll was about The Use of Cell Phones in School:

Older students should be allowed to bring cell phones to school, because they are a modern-day necessity and convenience, and especially useful in case of emergencies.

• I agree. Schools should set appropriate rules regarding the use of cell phones and allow students to bring them. (53%, 24 Votes)

• I disagree. Students should not be allowed to bring cell phones to school, because they are a distraction and schools should have a system in place for emergencies. (47%, 21 Votes)

This is a very contentious issue. Those who think schools should allow students to bring cell phones, outnumbered those who didn’t agree by a relatively small margin of 6%. This slight majority (53%) believes that cell phones are an essential for students in today’s world and especially handy in case of a crisis. The rest of the voters (47%) think that cell phones are a distraction and do not belong in schools.

Dear Readers,

Please check out our new Opinion Poll on The Use of Cell Phones in School and cast your vote by the end of February 2013. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our January 2013 poll was about Punishment:

Punishment should be discouraged since it perpetuates the cycle of abuse and achieves little in terms of discipline, especially since the core issue is almost never addressed.

• I agree. We have to understand and internalize that positive guidance works better than punishment in order to teach students right from wrong. (89%, 41 Votes)

• I disagree. When you don’t punish students you erode discipline and encourage unruly behavior. With certain disciplinary issues, punishment is the only thing that works. (11%, 5 Votes)

The overwhelming majority of our respondents believe that positive guidance, rather than punishment is a more effective and preferable way for disciplining children to help them differentiate right from wrong and so deal with the root cause of the problem. Only a very small minority of the respondents believe that in some situations punishment is the only thing that will work to discipline a child.

Workshops for CARE Foundation Teachers

TRC conducted three workshops for government school teachers supported by the Care Foundation. The workshops were conducted over three consecutive Saturdays in October 2012, by TRC facilitators Nighat Hasan and Tabinda Jabeen. The first workshop Tadrees kay Moassar Tareeqay was conducted on October 06, 2012 in a government school at Akhtar Colony, Karachi. The focus of the training was Teaching Methodology and it sought to equip teachers with a basic understanding of how children learn and the role of the learning environment in nurturing their holistic development.

The second workshop, conducted on October 13, 2012 was titled, Mansubabandi aur Kamra e Jamaat ka Nazm o Zabt. This workshop focused on Classroom Management and Lesson Planning and sought to enhance participants’ understanding of the purpose and function of planning and classroom discipline. The workshop highlighted promoting pro-social behaviour and explored the underlying causes of children’s “misbehaviour.”

The third workshop in the series was titled, Ashiya e imdadi ka Moassar Istemaal; it was conducted at TRC on October 20, 2012. The workshop highlighted the use of low-cost and no-cost teaching aids for classroom activities. Sixteen teachers from the pre-primary to the secondary level attended the multi-grade workshops.

Workshop for PARCO at TRC

A nine-hour workshop titled ‘How Children Learn’ was conducted for public sector schools that are supported by PARCO, from October 22 to 24, 2012 at TRC. Nighat Hasan and Tabinda Jabeen facilitated the workshop, which was attended by 25 primary and secondary school teachers.

The workshop focused on helping teachers understand how children learn and also the wide range of roles and responsibilities of a teacher. The participants were introduced to domains and stages of development, and the basics of an active learning environment. During the workshop, the participants took part in hands-on activities, group work and large group discussions.

TAKE Conference

On October 04, 2012, TRC’s Sr. Manager Membership Network, Rubina Naqvi presented a paper on ‘Understanding the Needs of the Child’ at an education conference organised by TAKE (Trust for Advancement of Knowledge and Education). The conference was held in Karachi for professional educators in association with the Institute of Education, University of London from 2-4 October. The theme of the conference was ‘Progress in Learning’ and the session was attended by approximately 50 educators from different institutions.

TRC’s presentation was an interactive one, and enriched the session with valuable input from the attendees. It focused on the factors that impact the development of a child, including the role of the environment and the school. The presentation was received positively by the audience.

Convocation Ceremony at Fatimiyah Girls’ School

TRC was invited by the Fatimiyah Education Network to attend its convocation ceremony for Matric students of Fatimiyah Girls School on October 20, 2012. Karen Dias represented TRC on this occasion. The event was even more special this year because they were celebrating their twentieth anniversary.

Dr. Kaniz Fizza Azhar, Chief Scientific Officer, PCSIR was chief guest at the occasion. Awards were distributed to high achievers of the Science and Arts group and a slideshow of students’ extracurricular achievements was played for the guests. Teachers and the staff were also recognised for their efforts and awarded accordingly. Special awards were also given to members of the network for their special contributions.

Thematic Working Groups for Sindh Education Sector Plan

The first meeting of all the Thematic Working Groups of the Sindh Education Sector Plan (SESP) was held on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at the Reform Support Unit in Karachi. All members of the Local Education Groups were invited to attend and Nighat Hasan and Tabinda Jabeen represented TRC on the occasion.

This meeting was essentially an orientation exercise for the thematic working groups. Mr. James Lee, European Union SESP consultant, shared the criteria and key elements of the Education Plan. In his presentation, he talked about the two stages of SESP formulation: conducting a situation analysis followed by the identification of strategies and programmes required to achieve education sector targets. Step-by-step planning of the SESP formulation, timelines and the responsibilities of Thematic Working groups were also discussed.

TRC Presents at the AKU-IED Conference

TRC was invited to attend and present at the ninth international conference on In Search of Relevance and Sustainability of Educational Change. Organised by the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), the event took place from November 1-3, 2012.

The objective of the conference was to seek, synthesise and share responses to the ‘crisis of relevance’ in the field of education. The proposed themes for the concurrent sessions were, Innovative pedagogies, Learner and learning spaces, Assessment for/as learning, The relevance of the curriculum in changing times, Responsive governance and management and Theorisation of educational change for relevance. Presenters put forward their work through different modes such as paper presentations, symposia, poster presentations, panel and roundtable discussions and others.

TRC’s Rubina Naqvi made a presentation titled The Modular Curriculum. The presentation focused on the concept of a curriculum, its role in effective learning, the four essential factors to consider when planning a curriculum, planning modules for different levels and the advantages and drawbacks of a modular curriculum.

The audience was a blend of teachers, school administrators, teacher trainers as well as researchers in education.

Karachi International Children’s Film Festival 2012

The Karachi International Children’s Film Festival returned for a second installment after a successful run last year and TRC supported the event yet again. Initiated by an NGO called The Little Art, the film festival is a sister event of the Lahore International Children’s Film Festival which is in its fourth year now. This year the KICFF commenced on November 5, 2012 and was held at the Rangoonwala Community Centre, Dhoraji Colony.

The event showcased 37 carefully selected short films, which included both animated and action films from 20 countries across the world. The films were screened over six days (November 5-8 and 12-13) in three one-hour slot shows. Passes for the festival were available at TRC and several schools participated in the event, despite being in the midst of midterm exams and a difficult law and order situation in the city. TRC staff was supported by a group of volunteers in managing the young audience at the venue.

It was heartening to see excited and cheerful young faces lining up to enter the hall to view the films. The children enjoyed themselves thoroughly at the festival and often broke out cheering and clapping. Most went back to school happy after thanking TRC staff and volunteers for making it possible for them to enjoy this unique experience.

Teachers and students gave some very positive feedback after the screenings. Some parents also stopped by at the premises to enquire about the festival and expressed the hope that in future their children would be able to experience more such events.

Sindh Education Sector Plan Working Groups Meet Again

A series of LEG meetings took place in November. All members of the Local Education Groups were divided into 12 Thematic Working Groups (TWG) for the preparation of the Sindh Education Sector Plan (SESP). The working groups met three times from November 5 – 22 at the Reform Support Unit, Education & Literacy Department in the N.J.V. School Building.

TRC is working with two TWGs, namely ECE & Primary (ECE-G5) and Teacher Training. Four weekly meetings were held between November 6 – 27. Nighat Hasan represented TRC in the Teacher Training group and Tabinda Jabeen in the ECE group.

In the first three meetings, the groups worked on situational analysis and focused on the identification of issues, establishing objectives, setting performance targets and formulating strategies and activities. In the fourth meeting some groups were merged as there was some overlap and similarities in all twelve groups. In the final session, the decision to merge the groups was reviewed and a few amendments were made.

New Director British Council Arrives in Karachi

TRC’s Mahenaz Mahmud attended a reception to welcome Barbara Wickham, the new director of the British Council, Sindh and Balochistan at Acton House on November 12, 2012. The reception was hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner, Francis Campbell. A meeting with Ms. Wickham will be scheduled later to discuss a partnership in teacher education.

Research Students Request TRC for Help

In November, TRC received two requests for research support. The Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Information, Ashique Hussain requested material for his research paper, The syllabus of primary schools in Sindh and KPK: Reforms to maintain national standards. Relevant resource material from the TRC library and other sources was shared with him.

A student, Sobia Shamim, who is enrolled in the MA (final) of the Education department at the Jinnah University for Women approached TRC for support for her research on TRC’s role in the educational sector in Karachi through its ECE- CP. TRC supported Ms. Shamim by furnishing her with 20 questionnaires filled by ECE-CP and ECE-CP(U) students as well as 04, by course facilitators.

TRC’s Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) 2012

On 01 December 2012, TRC’s AGM 2011 – 2012 was held at the TRC premises. Members of the Governing Board, representatives of member schools as well as staff members attended the event. During the meeting, the Directors highlighted the activities of the year and shared plans for the future. The Treasurer of the Governing Board presented TRC’s financial reports.

Our Annual Report has been published online and is available for download here http://trconline.org/trcs-26th-annual-report/.

Launch of the EFA Global Monitoring Report

On December 04, 2012 the EFA (Education for All) Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2012 was launched in Karachi. Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA) organised the event in collaboration with UNESCO. Representatives of different organisations including TRC, the Reform Support Unit, UNESCO, Unilever and various Technical Education and Vocational Training Centres were present at the event.

The event commenced with opening remarks from Baela Raza Jamil, Director Programmes ITA who shared that the thematic focus of the report is Youth and Skills. Other speakers at the event included Kazi Ayaz Mahessar of UNESCO who presented EFA and its goals and current status in Pakistan. Anwar Ahmed Zai, Chairman Board of Intermediate Education Karachi emphasised the need to empower youth in his presentation and suggested a review of the Education Policy in the context of the 18th Amendment. Nazar Ahmed, Director Operation, STEVTA talked about different skills development programmes while Aziz Kabani of the Sindh Education Foundation, talked about his organisation’s role in increasing enrolment rates and reducing gender disparity, adult literacy and improving education quality. The representative from Unilever’s spoke about the corporation’s hand washing campaign and women empowerment projects. Sagar Samejo, Director of Literacy & Non-Formal Basic Education, Sindh, recommended that non-formal education should be the part of the Education Policy.

In his concluding remarks, the chief guest Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Minister Education and Literacy Department, Sindh, announced the government’s intention to revive and link technical and vocational educational in all high schools in Sindh and also spoke about other initiatives undertaken by the provincial government.

Final Meeting of Sindh Education Sector Plan Working Groups

On December 03, 2012 the Thematic Working Groups had their fifth meeting. Tabinda Jabeen represented TRC in the Access Group that comprised the following four Thematic Working Groups: ECE & Primary, Secondary Education, Public Private Partnership and School Rehabilitation & Consolidation.

Dr. Fariha Zafar of SAHE presented on ‘Global Initiative on Out of School Children’. The presentation was based on a research study conducted by UNICEF and the UNESCO Institute of Statistics. After the presentation, the output of the previous meetings was reviewed in light of the study and amendments were made.

On 04 December, the meeting for ‘Teacher Education and Development’ Group and ‘Curriculum’ Group was held. Nighat Hasan represented TRC in this group.

This was the last meeting of the Thematic Working Groups and the framework of the Sindh Education Sector Plan (SESP) is now complete. A core committee comprising of experts and consultants will review SESP; the findings will subsequently be shared with all Thematic Working Groups.

PARCO Workshop in Muzaffargarh, Punjab

On December 10 and 11, 2012, a nine-hour workshop titled ‘How Children Learn’ was conducted in PARCO Colony, Mehmood Kot, Muzaffargarh. This was the second phase of a workshop, which had been conducted earlier at the TRC premises in Karachi. TRC’s Nighat Hasan and Tabinda Jabeen facilitated the diverse group of 20 teachers, which included both male and female teachers teaching different age groups.

The workshop covered a wide range of topics such as ‘How children learn,’ ‘Child development,’ ‘The learning environment’ and ‘The teacher’s role and responsibilities’. The participants were actively involved in different activities such as group work, pair work, presentations and discussions.

Feedback from the participants showed that they felt that the workshop provided them with hands-on experiences and new ideas to implement in the classroom. One participant also suggested that future workshops should include a session on the history of education.

Child Rights Convention 2012

TRC was invited to attend The Child Rights Convention 2012 at the Karachi Expo Centre on December 14, 2012. The theme of the exhibition was ‘Protect and Empower the Future of Pakistan’ and was attended by Kamleshwer Lohana, Mehnaz Amirali, Nighat Hasan, Seema Yasmin, Tabinda Jabeen and Uzma Rauf of TRC.

The session began with a history of the CRC, presented by SPARC (Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child). It highlighted how the mandate of the CRC evolved and eventually centred on children’s rights.

Following this session, speakers who were invited to the convention shared their work and accomplishments in upholding children’s rights.

This was followed by a panel discussion, which focused on the ‘Role of Media in Raising A Voice for Child Rights’ Advocacy’. The selected panelists for this session, which included representatives of NGOs working with children and those working in the media, aired their views on how the media can play an active role in promoting children’s rights.

The convention ended with a symbolic walk organised by KONPAL Child Abuse Prevention Society, an NGO working against child abuse. The walk was held to protest corporal punishment in schools.

Pakaleidoscope

On December 22, 2012 Seema Malik, Mahenaz Mahmud, Uzma Rauf and Mehnaz Amir Ali represented TRC at Paklaleidoscope, an art display by Haque Academy held at The Second Floor (T2F). The colourful display by young budding artists from the primary and secondary level included individual and group work, art installations and pottery inspired by Truck Art, which is one of the unique forms of indigenous art in Pakistan.

Governance of Education in Sindh

On December 31, 2012 the Sindh Education Foundation (GoS) and the AKU – Institute of Educational Development organized an Educational Dialogue on Governance for Quality Teachers, in collaboration with the Strengthening Teacher Education in Pakistan (STEP) Project. Uzma Rauf, represented TRC at this event, which was supported by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Canada and Pakistan.

This session began with a documentary, screening glimpses of the first Educational Dialogue held in July 2012. Following this, selected panelists were invited to share their experiences, views and suggestions regarding recruitment, deployment, professional development and accountability of teachers to ensure good governance. The floor was then opened to questions from the audience. The question & answer session was an engaging and interactive one. Prof. Anita Ghulam Ali concluded the session by summarizing what was shared by the panelists, focusing on the need to develop honesty and critical thinking skills in our children to improve the nation’s future.

Dear Readers,

Please check out our new Opinion Poll on Punishment and cast your vote by the end of January 2013. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our December 2012 poll was about Cheating:

Children cheat during exams because honesty and hard work is just not valued anymore and hardly anyone cares about personal integrity.

• I disagree. Children cheat because of unrealistic demands from parents, teachers and institutions and the tough competition they have to face. (97%, 35 Votes)

• I agree. Cheating is the easy way out. There is no point in studying hard when you can take a shortcut. (3%, 1 Vote)

The respondents of the poll voted overwhelmingly (97%) in favour of the reason that children cheat because of immense academic pressure from parents, teachers and institutions to get good grades. While only 3% (one respondent) feels that children cheat to take shortcuts, because hard work does not pay. This is an interesting result, because it shows that despite rampant cheating in schools and society in general, the respondents believe that essentially no shortcut can beat what one learns through hard work and honesty.

For more on the cheating debate, check out Ilm o Amal’s January 2013 issue, The Menace of Cheating at http://trconline.org/the-menace-of-cheating/

Dear Readers,

Please check out our new Opinion Poll on Cheating and cast your vote by the end of December 2012. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our previous poll was about Homework:

Homework should be banned in primary schools because it is a waste of children’s time.

• I agree. Homework overburdens children and adds unnecessary pressure to their lives.

• I disagree. Homework promotes good study habits and must be given.

The respondents of the poll were almost equally divided over the issue of homework in the primary years, with supporters winning by a small margin of 4%. So a little over half of the respondents (52%) feel that homework is necessary during the primary years, probably because they assume that it is necessary for establishing good study habits, adds rigor to the learning process and provides a link between school and home. The rest of our respondents (48%) would like to see an end to homework in the primary years, probably feeling that there is no real link between homework and genuine learning.

For more on the homework debate, check out Ilm o Amal’s  January 2005 issue at http://trconline.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/Ilm-o-Amal%20-%20English.pdf

Dear Colleagues,

This is an invitation to participate in the Trace Effects Webinar Series being hosted by the US Department of State Office of International Information, in partnership with Lincoln Corner Karachi, which is housed at the Rangoonwala Community Centre in Dhoraji.

Trace Effects is the new innovative 3D multimedia video game for learners of English. The Office of English Language Programs is hosting this webinar series for English teachers on how to use Trace Effects in the classroom. There is no registration required for this webinar series and no e-certificates will be issued.

The announcement and schedule is attached.

For further details please contact:

Mr. Naimat Ullah Khan
Coordinator
Lincoln Corner
Rangoonwala Community Centre
Dhoraji Colony, Karachi 74800
Pakistan.

Telephone Numbers: 0092-21-34935168,  34938025, 34938146
Fax: 0092-21-34930534
Email: lckarachi1@gmail.com
Web: picasaweb.google.com/lckarachi1
         www.rcc.com.pk

Announcement & Schedule