Two Trust Schools have put their “trust” in TRC, and asked us to help streamline their early years curriculum and to train their teachers.

Shahwilayat Public School (SWPS): In 2005, the principal of the school had requested TRC to help them implement a shift from the Montessori approach, for their ECE section. A series of four workshops for their Elementary and Prep 1 teachers were held last year, and classroom support was provided early this year, to help them implement the new approach.

The next phase of the SWPS Professional Development Programme commenced in May 2006. Two workshops, â??How Children Learnâ?? and â??The Learning Environment and Peace Buildingâ?? were held for 18 teachers of Prep 2 and Class 1; another two workshops will be held at the end of this year.

Classroom support will begin in August, when schools reopen. The plan was to have Class 1 teachers attend the workshops along with Prep 2, but to implement changes in 2007. They however, were so enthused by the new approach, that they decided to make changes in August 2006, when schools reopen â?º

Fatimiyiah Education Network (FEN): To discuss the ECD section (Prep 1 to Class 2) they have planned to set up, the FEN Board members, requested a meeting with TRC. A collaboration has now been established. Besides training of teachers and classroom support, FEN has requested TRC to offer a consultancy and advise them on all matters pertaining to the ECD section, from appropriateness of the building, learning spaces for children and materials for the indoor environment. It is pertinent to mention that they will be the first school in the private sector, to adopt the National Curriculum for Early Childhood Education.

A workshop on ‘Active Learning’ was held in June for 18 teachers, and one on the ‘Learning Environment/Daily Routine’ in July. Classroom support will begin in October. Intensive meetings have been held with a small core group on revamping the FEN curriculum. The FEN Board has requested TRC to identify two teachers from this core group for TRC’s year-long ECE-Certificate Programme in 2007.

To examine the reasons for the high drop out rate among Kachi children, especially girls, UNICEF-Balochistan and the Bureau of Curriculum, Balochistan, commissioned TRC to conduct a study on the learning needs and available environment in Kachi classes within the province. We developed survey instruments and questions for focus group discussions and teacher interviews, to establish the status of the Kachi environment, including physical facilities, resources and teaching competency. The survey was conducted in a random sampling of 107 Unicef supported, public sector schools in the districts of Pashin and Kalat.

A session with children who had dropped out was conducted to gain insights into their views on how they felt about school and why they no longer attend. Focus group discussions were also carried out to gain insight from mothers and fathers with children who had dropped out of Kachi class, as well as from the general community and the PTAs. Finally, interviews were conducted with decision-makers within the provinceâ??s education sector.

The results of the study have been analysed and a report was submitted to UNICEF in June. A seminar for policy makers will be held in August in Quetta. The presentation identifies the opportunities and gaps of the Kachi environment in Balochistan, and includes recommendations and proposed actions for effective implementation of the National ECE Curriculum, for government decision-makers in the region. The presentation will be made by the Bureau of Curriculum Balochistan, with the support of Unicef staff.