Author Archives: Teachers' Resource Centre

It was a pleasure to welcome the UNICEF Education team to TRC, on Thursday May 22, 2008. The team of Education Officers (about 18 in number) from Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Islamabad, were accompanied by Ms. Perseveranda So, Chief Education Section, Islamabad.

About the purpose of the visit, Shahla R. Din, Education Specialist, Karachi, wrote in her
e-mail:  ” The purpose of our visit is to have an orientation on ECE – or ECD, and see/understand different approaches being taken for adaptation and replication in different provinces.  We feel that ECE is a very important investment in children’s futures – and would like to learn from your experience.”

At TRC, they explored the range of teaching-learning resources we have developed. They purchased sets of all our teachers’ guides, videos and our new interactive CD-ROM “Nurturing Creativity” … we gave them sets of our research publications and the new UNESCO supported ECE advocacy booklet for decision makers. They were particularly excited when they saw all the creative literacy, numeracy and science resources and ideas for 3 – 5 and 6 – 8 year olds, developed from “junk material” (old boxes, packing material, bottles and caps and other house hold recyclable materials). Perseveranda had seen similar material many years ago in the Phillipines and was really pleased to see what we have done with junk.
After telling them TRC’s ” Story of ECE” from 1986 to the formalisation of the National ECE Curriculum and beyond, we set out to visit The ECE Centre managed by the Local Body Wing Education Department, in Liaquatabad. There were very few children that day, because it was exam time/end of term and the little ones had gone home with older siblings in nearby schools. The visitors sat on the mat and at the little tables and chatted with the children. One little girl asked Perseveranda how she had come here … was it on a plane? One of the Officers from Punjab was given tea by a little group who were in the Home Corner and then they cooked some rice and chicken for him. It was such a joy for everyone to allow the child within, to step out for a while 🙂

On 21 May 2008, a group of ten teachers from the Metropolitan Foundation School visited TRC. One of our representatives introduced them to the activities and services offered by TRC to its members. They were given a tour of the TRC premises and expressed a keen interest in the TRC-Institute of Early Childood Education, its Media Literacy Programme, Learning Resources and Publications. The learning materials and resources were displayed in the TRC library where the teachers also explored and used the Learning CD on Nurturing Creativity in Young Children.
Each teacher in the group was given copies of the bi-annual resource Ilm o Amal and brochures highlighting TRC’s work. The group showed a keen interest in becoming members of TRC and left with a feeling of being inspired and encouraged to better themselves as teachers.

February 07, 2008 marked the end of another successful academic year for the students of the TRC-Institute of ECE (TRC – IECE). With assignments, tasks and final evaluations over and done with, our students were relieved but also felt at a bit of a loss. Accustomed to classes in the afternoon, straight after school, the intellectual stimulation and challenge of a year long programme in ECE, they were concerned that their learning curves would reach a plateau. So, they have formed an alumni group that meets once a month at the TRC-IECE to discuss ECE issues and work on small projects under the supervision of the Academic Coordinator.
On the evening of May 09, at a simple ceremony, Ms. Mahtab Rashdi, Chairperson of the TRC – IECE awarded certificates to the graduating students, as their parents, some siblings and school heads looked on with pride. Three students shared reflections of their year at IECE, and how the ECE programme had changed their perceptions of teaching, learning and childhood.