TRC News

Dear Friends,

p>TRC and The Little Art, a Lahore based organization share a common vision of promoting the principles of freedom, equality and civil rights through artistic avenues. We have recently entered into a partnership with them and will be collaborating on organizing joint events.

TLA is organizing a National ChildRight Arts Festival from November 17-20, 2011. Information about the event and a participation invitation are attached below.

We sincerely hope many of you will participate,

The TRC Team

ChildRight Arts Festival Information

Invitation

Dear Friends,

p>TRC has been collaborating with LEAF over the last 10 years to share information about their annual Earth Watching Eco-Panel exhibitions. In the past, as some of you may remember we have collected exhibits at TRC and forwarded them to Nishinomiya, Japan.

This year we are sharing the information directly with you. We hope you will participate. We have one request ? do let us know if you are participating and give us some information about the entries you are sending.

Information about The 19th Earth Watching Club Eco-Panel Exhibition to be held from March 7 – 11, 2012 and the application form are enclosed. The deadline for submission is December 31st, 2011.

All the best,

The TRC Team

Details of the Exhibition

Application Form

We lost two Valued Members of our TRC Community

? Ms. Adiba Kamal: On April 05, 2011 we woke up to the sadness of Ms. Kamal having passed away. In our community of educators where there is a dearth of strong, committed individuals, Ms. Kamal’s passing has left a void, one which is not easily filled. She was an inspiration and a role model for all the students and teachers of Habib Girl’s School where she worked from 1964 to 2005, first as a teacher and then as a principal.

She was an ardent lover of the English language and an exacting user of grammar; it was to her that everyone at the school turned for editing and proofreading English documents. At her Memorial at the Habib Girls’ School on April 19, it was not such a surprise that teachers, parents and students held her in such great esteem.

We, at TRC were fortunate enough to have had her on our Governing Board from 1992 to 2011, and as the Chairperson, from 1995 to 2008. What can we say, she was ALWAYS there for us with her sage advise whenever there was a challenging situation. With a twinkle in her eye, she sorted the issue for us and we were left wondering what the big deal was. It was comforting to have had her support and the benefit of her wisdom. She came to meetings even when it was difficult for her to walk.

At a personal level, we loved to have a chat with Ms. Kamal. She always asked after us and our families and shared some of her own news and concerns. It is important to keep the memory of people like her alive and fresh ? passing on the torch to the younger generation, so that the good they have done is not lost to time.

? Jairam: On the same fateful day, April 05, 2011, we lost another very valuable member of our team ? Jairam. He worked with us as Library Assistant from 2002 to 2009.

Quiet, unassuming and an amazing book binder. He had a love for books and knew the location of most of our 10, 000 + books. He was always to be found at his desk in the library ever ready with his tool kit of repair materials, mending and binding books that had lost their spines or from which pages had come loose. He paid great attention to detail, was truly skillful in his work and loved what he did. He was an expert!

For one workshop on Library Management we’d built in a book binding session. Jairam, full of modest pride taught 30 library personnel from varied member schools how to bind books. I hope they continue to carry his torch forward.

We will miss his unobtrusive manner, his willingness to fill in and do other jobs when required and most of all his reassuring presence at TRC.

Assistant Director TRC Moves On

Natasha Ansari, served as Assistant Director at TRC for a year, from April 2010 to March 2011. When we first met, she had recently returned from Canada and was full of energy and a desire to change the education sector in Pakistan. Following a year with us, she became restless again, wanted the flexibility to think about and explore different social sector projects, maybe even education, to find her niche. We wish her all the best in whatever she chooses to do.

We Welcome Dr. Shabnam Ahmed to the TRC Team

Dr. Shabnam Ahmed has a Masters degree in Education, Health Promotion and International Development from the Institute of Education – University of London, UK. She also holds a Bachelor?s degree in Medicine. From January 2003 – April 2011, she worked as faculty member at the Aga Khan University -Institute for Educational Development. From April to June this year, she taught Health Nutrition and Safety in Term 3 of the ECE-CP at the TRC – Institute of ECE. She is the regional consultant of the Child to Child Trust at the University of London, and we are planning several exciting ‘health promotion in ECE’ initiatives with her.

P.E.C.H.S. Girls’ School Organize Staff Development Day at TRC

Saturday, April 30, 2011 was staff development day at PECHS Girls’ School. This time they requested us for our space, use of library resources and Internet facility.

From 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. TRC was buzzing with activity as 44 teachers from Classes 1 to 8 divided in year groups, brainstormed, researched library books and the Net and discussed ideas for active learning projects and summer vacation home work. Here is what some of them had to say:

” The books had great ideas and they sort of triggered my imagination and made me think of workable ideas for 6-7 year olds. When we arrived, tables were set out for us with a range of books related to different subjects. We were fortunate to have had this experience.”
Sheetal Suleman Class 1

” It was my first experience of attending staff development day at TRC. I was hesitant at first to travel such a long distance and to a new place, but somehow we managed to get there. Spending some hours collectively at TRC with my colleagues, was a pleasant experience. I found the ambiance peaceful and very comfortable.The huge collection of books on a variety of topics were accessible for all of us. The tea and tasty snacks freshened and energized us. This staff development day was very fruitful for me and I hope our management has achieved their objective too.”
Semeen Fatima Class 4

“The availability of so many books for summer vacation homework was really appreciated by almost all the teachers from the senior section. It was a very productive session for all of us who attended staff development day at TRC.”
Asma Kashif Class 6

The Magic of Math & Wordtopia

The Magic of Math and WordTopia are here to dazzle you. In case you are wondering what these are ? they are the interactive digital games that TRC has developed for the USAID supported ED-LINKS project. The first two of the three CD ROMs are ready and have already been given to EDLINKS for distribution in project schools. The ED-Links project works with 1100 schools in 22 Districts of Sindh and Balochistan, in addition to Islamabad and FATA. Over 550 schools have been given computers and the CDs will be distributed to these schools. We are sure that the students of secondary classes will find Mathematics and English a lot more fun using the CDs.

International Conference on Girls? Education

The Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) and OXFAM Novib, organized an international conference on ?Empowerment through Girls? Education in Contemporary Muslim Societies? from April 19-20, 2010. TRC was invited to participate in the conference and as member, PCE, also moderated a plenary session. Amima Sayeed represents TRC on the Board of PCE. Speakers from Malaysia, Indonesia, Norway and Bangladesh presented their country frameworks, achievements and challenges for promoting Girls? Education across all levels.

From Pakistan, parliamentarians as well as noted academicians, donor representatives and development workers participated in the plenary sessions. Amongst them, submissions of Dr. Khalid Masood, Director, Islamic Ideology Council, were very pertinent and must be used widely where he provided a socio-religious perspective on Girls? Education and radicalization. He also demystified the issue of segregation in education and traced the roots to 19th century religious leadership. They saw modernity as a threat to their traditions, and opposed it instead of responding to the challenges. The indifference of progressive discourse towards such annulment has also widened the gap.

Lengthy discussions on the 18th Amendment, devolution of the Federal Education Ministry and the Rights to Education Act also took place. The importance of promulgating and enforcing legislative acts for Article 25-A was underscored.

The conference concluded with a resolution for increasing girls? education for empowerment and equity in the increasingly turbulent socio-political context of Pakistan. PCE and Oxfam will strategize their advocacy initiatives accordingly.

Feedback from Baldia Town Students

On March 15, 2011, the film Zor Laga ke Haiya was screened for children of government schools from Baldia Town. A total of 46 children and 10 teachers of different schools attended the session accompanied with their ADOE. The multi-grade group, had girls from Classes 5 to 8.

As agreed with the girls, a month later, we sent a message with Najma Malik, the Baldia Town ADOE and a long time friend of TRC, to the students who had come to watch the film with us. In response, we received about 40 letters. Excerpts from the letters of Shumaila, Parween Laiq, Naseem Akhtar, Bushra, Afshan Fayyaz, Sidra Jalal, Maria Gulzar and Tooba Javed are reproduced below. Their comments express the essential features of what the other students said.

? We have stitched cloth bags and have started taking these to school and to the market for shopping. We are saying NO to plastic bags.

? We have even given home made cloth bags to our friends as gifts so that they also stop using plastic bags. We have spread the word to our sisters, friends and women in our neighborhood.

? We have planted saplings in our school and at home and we take care of them and water them everyday just like we promised.

? I have planted a Neem tree in our galli (lane) and I water it everyday and my mother sweeps the galli every morning. We keep our home and galli clean and it looks so nice.

? I have planted a Raat ki Rani plant at home which I water every day. Soon there will be a beautiful fragrance in the evenings.

? I have stopped using plastic bags now and use cloth ones instead. When I go to buy milk or yoghurt from the market I take a utensil along so that I don’t have to take a plastic bag.

? I have planted a tomato plant at home and water it daily. My parents are very happy.

? We really appreciate all that we learnt at TRC about caring for our environment. We realize now how harmful plastic bags are, and will try our best to do whatever we can to keep our environment clean and green.

A Spate of Workshops for RCC Implementing Partners

As technical partners for the Releasing Confidence and Creativity Project, one of the key roles for TRC is to develop the capacity of teachers and head teachers for improving the delivery of ECE in their schools. This year has been extensive in terms of conducting training workshops for RCC partners. As mentioned in our previous News Bulletin, in February this year, we trained 138 teachers (48-hr NCECE workshops) and head teachers (15-hr head teachers? ECE orientation workshop) working in Sungi and MIED managed schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwah.

Immediately after that, based on internal needs’ assessment of partner schools, we developed a new workshop package, with a focus on enhancing teachers’ understanding of learning goshas and developmentally appropriate assessment in ECE. This series of needs’ based workshops titled ECE Asatza ki Mahartoun mein Izafa was conducted for RCC implementing partners, HANDS and SOCIETY in April and May 2011. The workshops focussed on: the process of empowering children to take responsibility for their learning through the plan-do-review sequence, and teachers’ observation and assessment skills. While the teachers had set up learning goshas and children were planning and working in goshas, often teachers “sent” children to goshas and didn’t actually let them decide and choose where to go and what to work on. So it was important to help teachers move to the next stage in their own development. They also needed further training on understanding on-going assessment and using observation tools.

Five members of the TRC ECE Team, Farzana Kausar, Mehnaz Amir Ali, Nighat Hasan, Seema Yasmin and Tabinda Jabeen facilitated the eight, 28-hour, cluster based workshops in 4 districts of Balochistan (Quetta, Loralai, Pashin and Bela) and 2 districts of Sindh (Hyderabad and Hala).

Two concurrent workshops were held in Quetta and Pashin from 13-16 April, followed by another two concurrent workshops in Loralai and Pashin from 18-21 April.

These workshops were followed by yet another two concurrent workshops, one in Balochistan and the other in Sindh. The last workshop for Society was held in Bela from April 27-30, while the first one for HANDS was held in Hyderabad on the same dates, i.e. April 27-30.

The last two concurrent workshops were both held in Hala from May 02-05. There were a total of 210 participants, of which 51 were males.

Continuing the series of needs’ based workshops for RCC partner schools, TRC conducted four workshops in May 2011. All four workshops were held in TRC and were facilitated by Mehnaz Amir Ali.

? Two ten-hour workshops titled, Mansuba bandi-kaam-Iada, were held for ECE teachers of our 40 RCC partner schools in Jamshed and Korangi Towns, on May 5 – 6 and on May 9 – 10, 2011, respectively.

The objective of this workshop was to help teachers enhance their understanding of the philosophy of Plan-Do-Review, which is to give children the opportunity to make choices and time to carry out their plans and later to reflect on the work they have done. The Plan-Do-Review sequence helps children make decisions and be responsible for their decision. They learn different skills while working in learning goshas with varied materials. They explore the material on their own terms and discover the different properties and attributes of the chosen materials which enables them to understand and construct knowledge about those materials. The teacher observes them and plans activities to further enhance their understanding and skills.

Most teachers experienced an “a-ha moment” and commented that they now have a better understanding of this segment of the daily routine.

? The next two ten-hour workshops titled, Observation & Assessment, were held for ECE teachers of our 40 RCC partner schools in Jamshed and Korangi Towns, on May 11 – 12, and May 18 – 19, 2011, respectively.

The objective of this workshop was to develop teachers’ skills as an observer. Through hand-on activities, the teachers were introduced to different observation tools and were walked through the method of recording these observations. A lively discussion on assessment reports took place and was followed by practice to fill in the developmentally appropriate assessment reports based on the data collected through the observation tools.

The teachers commented that they were really pleased to have learnt about these new observation tools and methods.

Social Networking Project ? Going Global

In March 2011, TRC was contacted by the Japan Society of New York. They have created a site where students from around the world can collaborate on creative projects and take part in meaningful, student-driven exchanges. The pilot site was launched in March between a school in the USA and Japan, and the plan is to include some schools from Pakistan in September.

The rationale for the project is that most teens today spend hours using social networking sites (SNS) and digital media. This multilateral digital exchange turns SNS and digital media into powerful, alluring educational tools connecting teens to their peers both at home and abroad. The Going Global Social Networking Project consists of a series of flexible projects, connected to the teaching goals of the participating schools, designed to engage students of all abilities and interests in authentic, fun, educational international exchange. This project will begin in September 2011, focusing on schools in the United States, Japan, and Pakistan. Future plans include expansion to schools in countries such as, India, China, and South Korea. All activities will take place on a secure, closed network accessible only to students and teachers involved in this project.

Following several email exchanges and a Skype conversation with the Japan Society TRC identified and supported three schools to participate in the project which will begin in September.

TRC Participates in Unesco’s ‘Parents’ Education on ECCE’ Initiative

UNESCO has launched a pilot initiative to educate parents about Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), with a view to improve young children’s readiness and retention in primary school.

This pilot initiative in the Asia Pacific region is being developed in collaboration with relevant experts and field functionaries in five countries, namely, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Samoa and Viet Nam. The regional approach is to link Parent Education about ECCE with Community Learning Centres (CLC), as in many countries the CLC is the meeting point for parents in local communities. However, depending on the individual country’s needs, parent workshops will take place in non-formal education centers and in formal schools where parents often gather and interact with the local school.

A technical committee has been formed by Unesco Islamabad, to review the draft handbook for parent education, developed by UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Education in Bangkok. From TRC, Tabinda Jabeen and Mahenaz Mahmud are part of this technical committee. The following activities took place in May and June:

– Review of draft Parent Education Guidebook & Facilitators’ Handbook: In May we did a thorough in-house review of the draft guidebook and handbook.

– National Workshop: TRC was represented by Tabinda Jabeen at this workshop which was held in Unesco’s Islamabad office on May 18, 2011. The National Team is comprised of representatives from the Department for Staff Development Punjab, Bunyad Foundation, CGN and the Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Centre, Balochistan. The purpose of this meeting was for the Country Team to review the Guidebook and Handbook in the context of Pakistan. This one day meeting was insufficient to complete the review and members decided to share their remaining comments by email.

– Regional Workshop: TRC was represented by Mahenaz Mahmud at this workshop which was held in Unesco’s Bangkok office on June 07 and 08, 2011. The purpose of this workshop was, to finalize the Parenting Education Guidebook and the Facilitator?s Handbook for Parenting Education prepared by Unesco Bangkok, and to develop strategies and a plan for local adaptation and utilization in each participating country. At the end of the intensive two day workshop, the purpose was achieved. For details please go to: http://www.unescobkk.org/news/article/unesco-workshop-on-clc-parenting-education/
Meeting like minded professionals from the region and sharing views and experiences with them kept us absorbed and on task as we went through the guidebook and handbook section by section. It was interesting to note that despite the diversity, the challenges were so similar.

Second Film Club for RCC Partner Schools

On June 09, 2011, TRC screened Udaan for 22 head teachers of RCC partner schools from Jamshed and Korangi Towns.

Film Synopsis: A young man must defend his dreams against a father who barely knows him in this coming-of-age drama from India. Rohan is a bright, sensitive youngster who dreams of becoming a writer some day. He has spent eight years in a boarding school, but when he’s unexpectedly expelled, he comes home to Jamshedpur and his father who is practically a stranger to him. Rohan is introduced to Arjun, a half brother he didn’t even know he had, and learns that his life is about to change ? rather than studying literature, his father has decided he will focus on engineering, and he’ll be performing manual labor in his father’s steel mill in his spare time. Between his job and his new academic commitments, Rohan’s life is turned upside down, and he must learn to assert himself around a man who wants to reshape him into his own image. The first feature film from director Vikramaditya Motwane, Udaan was an official selection at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

According to the audience the movie was very heart touching and they really felt to cry.

The post film discussion was emotional and interesting as participants debated the consequences of different parenting styles and child rearing practices. In four groups the following questions were discussed:

1. What type of personality did Rohan?s father have? Do you think a parent such as he was can play a positive role in nurturing a child? Yes or No? Give reasons for your answer.

2. Think about the positive and negative sides of the teenager?s role in this film. Discuss the consequences of his behavior and actions.

3. Keeping in mind the feelings and emotions of the six-year-old child in the film, as a Head Teacher, what can you do for children in a similar situation in your school? How can you talk to the parents on this sensitive issue?

4. In our culture, most parents believe that they have the right to make decisions for their children. Do you think children should also have this right?
The audience discussed different parenting styles and their consequences. They also talked about their own role in nurturing children in their school. They also talked briefly about the Convention of the Rights of the Child.

Alif Laila Book Bus Society, is having a postage stamp design competition, in collaboration with Pakistan Coalition for Education and Pakistan Post, as part of the activities for the Global Action Week online casino 2011. Global Action Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness and call on governments around the world to keep their promises on the UN Millennium Development Goal of achieving Education for All. This year, Global Action Week will take place from 2 – 8 May on the theme of Women and Girls? Education.

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Annual General Body Meeting (AGM)

Our AGM for 2009 – 10 was held at the TRC office on Saturday, January 29, 2011. This year, four of our Governing Body members completed their term with us. We are grateful to Sr. Margaret Madden, Ms. Faryal Hussain, Mr. Abdul Khaliq Khatri and Ms. Z.T. Mavalvala for their support and direction over the years.

We welcome Ms. F.D. Tampal (The Mama Parsi Girls’ School), Ms. Mahwash Asif (Beaconhouse School System), Ms. Nancy Lobo (NDIE) and Ms. Nargis Alavi (Habib Girls? School) to the Governing Body. We look forward to working with them.

Workshops for RCC Partner Schools in Karachi

Two ten-hour workshops titled, Bachoun key Rawwayeh aur Ustad ka Kirdar, were held for ECE teachers of our 40 RCC partner schools in Jamshed and Korangi Towns, on January 26 – 27, and February 1 – 2, 2011, respectively. TRC’s Mehnaz Amir Ali facilitated the workshops.

During classroom support visits, following the initial 50-hour NC-ECE Curriculum implementation workshop, it became apparent that many teachers were facing similar challenges in creating an optimal learning environment in their classrooms. This interactive, discussion-based workshop was designed to help teachers revisit their knowledge, skills and capacities in the identified areas.

Links Primary School

January 3 – 4, 2011, Mrs. Naqvi from TRC, conducted two six-hour workshops titled, ‘An Effective Working Environment’ for 41 teachers of the Lower and Upper Primary Sections of Links School.

Focusing on the factors that contribute to an effective working environment, the workshop highlighted the importance of developing a positive attitude at work as well as elements required to be a professional. Teachers examined their own profiles and discovered their working styles. The responses from the participants were candid and led to useful discussions on ways to resolve issues faced by them.

The workshop was well received and it is hoped that the outcome of the training sessions will be positive and contribute towards maintaining a working environment congruent with Links’ vision.

Film Club for RCC Partner Schools

February 10, 2011, TRC screened Zor Lagaa Ke Haiya for 35 head teachers of RCC partner schools in Korangi and Jamshed Towns. Mirroring the apathy of contemporary society to environmental issues, this nonstop action comedy and adventure, showcased how a group of children, with the help of a homeless man, overcame all the obstacles to save a tree from being razed to the ground by a money-minded construction giant and his contractor.

The post film discussion was interactive and thought provoking as participants were split into 4 groups to ponder and debate the following questions:

1. A beautiful and clean environment is known to make a person feel happy. As a head, what role can you play to improve the natural surroundings of your school?

2. In today’s day and age, there is a noticeable decline in community living and a sense of brotherhood and trust. What do you think the reasons for this are?

3. What are the causes for natural disasters like floods, tsunamis and earthquakes? As a concerned and responsible citizen, what role can you play in minimizing them?

4. Unconditional love and unity are prevalent in children who selflessly think of what is best for everyone. How can we as adults adapt our behaviour to be more like them?

The discussion led to the head teachers looking into different environmental issues such as why we are seeing a global change in temperature, the effects of chopping down trees in large quantities, and how pollution effects us. They discussed solutions including growing and caring for trees, using water, gas, electricity and paper carefully, avoiding usage of polythene bags, leading a simpler life and respecting human and animal rights. Looking at the big picture, they further identified issues that plague our society like common misuse of resources, corruption, and a general disregard for law and order.

The head teachers commented that the film gave them a much-needed opportunity to reflect on key issues pertaining to their community, and the role they could play in improving their environment, not just as individuals, but also as head teachers and mentors.

Workshops for RCC Partners: SUNGI & MIED

One of our roles as Technical Assistance partner for the RNE and AKFP supported RCC project, is to train ECE teachers of RCC?s Implementing Partners. In 2010, RCC welcomed two new partners: Sungi and MIED.

Just to backtrack a little, in October 2010, we had conducted workshops for 73 ECE teachers of schools managed by Sungi and MIED in Mansehra and Abbotabad. This year, in February 2011, we conducted six more workshops, three for each organisation, to build the capacity of another 74 ECE teachers and 85 head teachers. The workshop for head teachers aimed to introduce them to the NC-ECE, the importance of Active Learning in holistic development and how the daily routine unfolds in an active learning environment. The role of a head teacher in supporting active learning was dealt with in detail.

The main objective of the 48-hour workshop for teachers is to equip them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary for implementing the National Curriculum for ECE. Some of the topics covered were: child development, developmentally appropriate practice, learning content areas, organizing the learning environment and the daily routine.

Pakistan Children?s Television (PCTV)

Following the first PCTV National Workshop in October 2010, the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop (RPTW) held its first Technical Advisory Committee meeting in Lahore on February 25 – 26, 2011. RPTW, in collaboration with USAID Pakistan and Sesame Workshop, are bringing Sesame Street to Pakistan through the PCTV programme. PCTV aims to address the literacy issue and reinforce positive messages to children in rural areas, through various mediums including puppetry, live shows, TV and interactive websites.

TRC was invited to be part of the advisory committee and participate in this 2-day meeting to discuss content and provide feedback on relevance and cultural sensitivity. Ms. Natasha Ansari represented TRC. The programme is scheduled to air later this year.

TRC-HSBC Project

March 1, 2011, TRC and HSBC signed a MoU to officially begin the Pehla Taleemi Basta (PTB) project. This project will distribute 150 PTBs across 6 towns of Karachi: Kemari, Bin Qasim, Shah Faisal, Lyari, Landhi and Malir. TRC will also train 150 teachers on how to use the PTB in their classrooms.

TRC Film Club

On March 15, 2011, the film Zor Laga ke Haiya was screened for children of government schools from Baldia Town. A total of 46 children and 10 teachers of different schools attended the session accompanied with their ADOE. The multi-grade group, had girls from Classes 5 to 8.

The session started off with a brief introduction to TRC. A quick survey about the number of children who had already viewed the film was done (there were five and they were happy to watch it again, because they hadn’t quite understood it the first time) and the theme of the film was shared.

Following the 120-minute screening, a general discussion about the film took place and the children shared the bits they had enjoyed. They were then divided into groups based on their grade levels, and were asked to identify and come up with solutions to environmental issues in their communities.

The children shared their views and talked about their experiences within their small groups. Later one representative from each group was responsible for sharing the highlights of their discussion. A delightful and heated discussion followed as the facilitator helped them unravel the issues and solutions.

The children left TRC feeling very positive about their experience and they made these promises:

They will save one rupee from their snack money everyday, and make a collection to buy and plant tree saplings to ?green? their immediate environments.

They will say ‘NO’ to the use of plastic bags in their shopping area. They would stitch cloth bags for their water bottles for school, and convince their parents to take baskets and containers from home when setting out for groceries.

They will share their experience and learning from the film screening and discussion, with the rest of the children in school.

An Introduction to Media Literacy

Our first Media Literacy workshop was conducted in 2009. It was high time we introduced media literacy to more teachers.

On March 25 – 26, 2011, teachers from The A.M.I School, Beaconhouse School Systems, Generation’s School, Indus Academy, P.E.C.H.S. Girls’ School, Valika Comprehensive School and P.E.C.H.S. Girls’ College came together to become more media literate, which is, the ability and skill to be more discerning consumers of print and electronic media. The majority of teachers were from the primary level, which is the level the workshop was announced for. There were some pre-primary teachers, one of whom attended because she has older children and there was also one college teacher. Mahenaz Mahmud, Uzma Rauf and Madiha Afzal facilitated the workshop.
A number of participants reported that on the way home after the first day, they viewed all the billboards more consciously, asking themselves questions such as, ‘So, what is behind this message?’ ‘Who benefits from it?’ Another participant said she was particularly conscious about listening to the news on different channels.

At the end of the workshop, most participants said that they would recommend the integration of media literacy into their curricula, to their school administration.

One participant shared that by attending this workshop, and becoming aware of how critically one needs to analyse the media, would make him a better citizen.

TRC aims to form a Media Literacy Group, which will pilot the ‘formal’ integration of media literacy activities into their curriculum. They will meet at TRC on a regular basis to share experiences, and develop materials to advocate media literacy to other schools.

p>Trust for Advancement of Knowledge and Education (TAKE) is committed to educational leadership and teacher development in Pakistan. Under this initiative, they are conducting their pilot 3 day courses on “Educational Leadership and Management” and “Teaching, Learning and Assessment” in Karachi from 24th – 26th March 2011. Cost for participation is PKR 30,000 per course. Upon successful completion, all candidates will receive a certificate of participation from the Institute of Education, University of London. For more information or to register, please visit www.take.pk

TAKE Brochure 2010.pdf

Happy New Year from all of us at TRC. We hope you and your loved ones have a safe and prosperous year. TRC has entered its 25th year and we have some exciting events coming up in the next few months. However, before we embark on that journey, here are some highlights from the last three months of 2010.

? ED ? Links Mathematics CD Ready

Lending our expertise to the development of interactive self-learning materials, we are preparing CDs for grades 6-8 in Maths, Science and English, for a USAID funded project, Ed-Links. With animation, voiceovers and debugging processes complete, the Mathematics CD is ready for production and distribution and we expect to have the other two ready by the end of February 2011. ED-Links Programme Managers took the responsibility of ensuring these materials can be utilized across the public sector (in addition to their ?project? schools) by conducting a round table exercise with key policy makers and donors. It will be a groundbreaking initiative in public schools when Information Communication Technology (ICT) components are introduced to schools ? TRC is proud to be a central contributor.

? Asia Pacific Consultation: 4th Global Campaign for Education

On October 14 -15, 2010, organized by the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE), an Asia Pacific Consultation of the 4th Global Campaign for Education General Assembly, was held in Jakarta, Indonesia. TRC participated from the Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) platform. TRC Senior Manager Advocacy and Programme Development, Amima Sayeed (who represents TRC on the PCE Board), was amongst the nominees for the meeting. TRC drafted a motion on the promotion and expansion of quality Early Childhood Education on behalf of PCE. Going through a round of prioritizing, the motion will be tabled in the World Assembly to be held in Paris early next year.

? RCC Active Learning Workshop for SUNGI

A 50 – hour workshop titled, ?Qaumi Nisab Ibtedaey Bachpan Ki Taleem Par Moassar Amal? was conducted in Abbottabad from October 25 ? 30, 2010. Our Training and Development team member, Nighat Hasan and ECE resource person Hafiza Rehman, facilitated this workshop, which was attended by 43 participants. Sponsored by the Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan (AKFP), the workshop was organized for SUNGI, a new partner in the Releasing Confidence and Creativity (RCC) Project. The main objective of the workshop was to equip the participants with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are necessary for implementing the National Curriculum for ECE (NCECE). Some of the topics covered were: stages of development, developmental domains; how children learn; the learning environment, the teachers? role; activity learning and the importance of using stories and rhymes in ECE classes.

? RCC Active Learning Workshop for Mountain Institute for Educ. Development (MIED)

The same workshop was held concurrently, in Mansehra, for the teachers of MIED project schools, the other new RCC partner. This 50-hour workshop was facilitated by TRC Training and Development team members, Seema Yasmin and Tabinda Jabeen and was attended by 29 participants.

? RCC Workshop for MIED School Heads

On November 1 – 2, 2010, a workshop titled ?Qaumi Nisab Ibteda-e-Bachpan ki Taleem par Moasser Amal? was held at Mansehra for head teachers of MIED partner schools. Supported by AKFP, 15 participants attended this workshop, which was facilitated by TRC Training and Development team members, Seema Yasmin and Tabinda Jabeen. The participants were introduced to the importance of ECE and active learning. Principles of ECE, holistic development, six key learning areas of the NCECE, observation and assessment and roles and responsibilities of heads were amongst some of the topics covered. To demonstrate how easily an active learning environment can be created in the classroom, our learning resources including our Pehla Taleemi Basta and our training videos: Nazmoon ki Dilchasp Duniya, The Learning Environment, and Language and Literacy were shown during the session. Our teachers? and heads? handbook Mazboot Bunyadein and Behtar School ki Janib were distributed amongst participants.

? National Institute of Management (NIM)

The NIM Karachi, holds a Mid-Career Management Course for Grade 18 officers. To assist them in making informed decisions, an integral part of this course is training officers in conducting research. Interestingly, NIM participant, Dr K.H. Jatoi selected TRC as a case study for his research, which is titled: ?Capacity Building of Teachers in Sindh by Teachers? Resource Centre.

?On October 25, 2010, Dr. Jatoi visited TRC. Our Training and Development Team member Farzana Kauser, met with him giving him all the pertinent information and a tour of our facility. He viewed our teaching/learning resources and was given three of our research studies highlighting our work in capacity building of teachers.

? Pakistan Children?s Television National Workshop

On October 20 – 21, 2010, Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop (RPTW), in collaboration with USAID Pakistan and Sesame Workshop, held a Pakistan Children?s Television (PCTV) National Educational Content Seminar in Islamabad. PCTV aims to address the literacy issue and reinforce positive messages to children in rural areas, through various mediums including puppetry, live shows, TV and interactive websites. TRC was invited to participate in this 2-day workshop where participants reviewed and provided input into each area of the educational content proposed by PCTV. Ms. Natasha Ansari represented TRC.

? School-focused Workshops

In addition to the multi-school workshops that TRC organizes every month, we often receive requests for school-focused workshops. Some of these were:>

Workshop at Korangi Academy

On 13 November, 2010 a 6 – hour workshop on ?Professionalism? was held at Korangi Academy for 25 teachers. The training session, led by Mrs. Naqvi, focused on the importance of maintaining a positive attitude at work, time management tips and skills, and the difference between a job and a profession. It was encouraging to see teachers actively participating in discussions and sharing their concerns and experiences.

Concern for Children (CFC) Workshop

From November 23-25, 2010, TRC?s, Nighat Hasan conducted a 12 hour workshop titled ?Tadrees ka Moassar Amal? for 23 teachers, at the CFC Community Centre. The teachers had no prior experience, so an initial teacher?s workshop was run for them. The topics covered were: how children learn, classroom organization and a teacher?s role and responsibilities. Special attention was given to understanding how the learning environment effects children?s self esteem and as a result their own capacity to learn.

Classroom Support for Cant. Schools

As a follow-up to the workshop ?Effective Teaching? (August 2010), we carried out classroom support for 20 secondary teachers of classes 6 to 10, from October 3 ? 29, 2010. TRC?s Mrs. Naqvi observed and assessed teachers against pre-determined criteria and the effective practices highlighted during the workshop. Feedback sessions helped teachers identify their own strengths, areas for development, and sharpen their evaluation skills. The teachers appreciated the feedback and advice given to them.

On December 11, 2010 another 4-hour session was conducted by Mrs. Naqvi at Cant. School to share all the findings of the classroom support programme. The session began with the effective practices that had been observed and building on these, the common areas for improvement were discussed in detail. Examples from their own classroom teaching, helped teachers relate theory to practice, and understand different aspects of the learning process.

? TRC Showcased in TV One Documentary on Education

TV One is producing a documentary about the status of education in Pakistan with a particular emphasis on private organizations positively impacting the sector. In September, they approached TRC to request showcasing our work across the public and private sectors. Filming took place over November and December 2010. To highlight our work in ECE, the team visited two of our partner schools in the public sector. To attain an all-inclusive picture, they filmed the ECE class in session as well as interviewed teachers, supervisors and government officials. Next, to highlight the inner workings of TRC, filming took place at our premises. This segment comprised of interviews with members of our Senior Management Team, Mahenaz Mahmud and Natasha Ansari and one of our ECE-CP alumni/faculty, Fazila Hussain. Our learning resources were showcased with a brief history of their development and impact in the field. Now the tedious job of editing and finalizing will take place before it is aired on TV One and in Canada.

? RCC Refresher Workshops for ECE Teachers

During classroom support visits to ECE teachers of Jamshed and Korangi towns, it became evident that they were experiencing difficulties with designing curriculum activities and planning the daily routine. Two one-day refresher workshops were held on December 6 – 7, 2010, for the 40 teachers of our partner schools. These refresher workshops were facilitated by TRC Training and Development Team member, Mehnaz Amir Ali; feedback revealed that the teachers felt more confident and better equipped to plan the daily routine and curriculum activities.

? TRC Attends Exchange for Change Press Conference

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation. On December 13, 2010, TRC Director Programme Development, Mahenaz Mahmud attended the press conference launch of their project, ?Exchange for Change.? This initiative is a collaboration of CAP and Routes 2 Roots, an Indian non-profit organization, which connects 2400 students from across Pakistan and India through letters, postcards, photographs and oral histories.

? Teach for Pakistan (TfP)

TfP?s new Executive Director, Farida Zuberi came to visit us at TRC on December 15, 2010. TfP is a local initiative associated with the global Teach for All network of independent social enterprises working to expand educational opportunity in 18 countries around the world. TfP aims to hire fresh graduates and young professionals who will go through an intense 6-week training programme to become teachers in under-resourced schools. TfP is interested in partnering with TRC and have been meeting with us since May 2010.

? Acumen Fund
Acumen Fund is a global non-profit venture capital fund, focused on supporting the delivery of critical services, such as, water, health, housing and energy at affordable prices to the poor. The Acumen Fund is now actively creating a new portfolio to invest in education plus training and development for low-income communities. On December 27, 2010 Acumen Fund consultant, Amna W. Khalid visited TRC, to gain insight from our extensive experience in the education sector and to seek help with identifying potential project partners.

Dear Colleagues,

The Volvo Adventure, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, is an educational programme that rewards environmental activities and the decision-makers of the future.

If your students have an environmental project, they still have time to enter the programme and have the chance of winning a financial reward that could make it possible to run, improve or enhance their project, as well as represent Pakistan at the 10th anniversary of this prestigious international award in Sweden.

For all details and instructions, please visit www.volvoadventure.org. There are two awards available, one of which is for students between 13 and 16 years of age and the other, is for students under 13 years.

The time has come to stop talking and start taking action to reverse our impact on the environment on a global level. We look forward to seeing your students take part in this initiative and become international youth ambassadors.

With a combination of accidents, natural disasters and the unpredictable political/law and order situation, the last few months have been particularly stressful and upsetting for all of us. We sincerely hope all our readers and their loved ones are safe.

At TRC, we have been really busy with visitors and requests for new projects and partnerships, upgrading and integrating our website (all behind the scenes for now? ) completing the ECE-CP 2009-2010, admissions for the new cohort of students, who have just begun their year long journey as you read this news bulletin …? and much more. Some highlights from the months of May-September are:

Visitors

Recommended by UNESCO Islamabad, the DSD Punjab Project Director, Nadeem Irshad Kiyani and his team visited us on May 7, 2010. The main purpose of the visit was to understand our journey as pioneers in bringing Early Childhood Education (ECE) to Pakistan. Following an in-depth discussion, they reviewed and purchased a set of all our ECE teaching-learning resources. Realizing that we have over two decades of experience and expertise in the field, they have asked us to help them as technical advisors in developing an Early Childhood Resource Centre in Punjab.

? Provincial Institute of Teacher Education (PITE) Sindh

Supported by UNESCO, PITE Sindh is developing an Early Childhood Education resource centre in Nawabshah. On May 7, 2010, (yes, both groups, DSD and PITE visited the same day!) Director Distance Education and Coordinator, ECE Programme, Mr. Atta Muhammad Detho and his team members visited TRC and asked us to come on board as technical consultants for the project. An MoU was signed shortly after.

Along with workshops, feedback on the layout and resources for their ECE Centre, TRC is also assisting PITE Sindh develop an ECE Teachers’ Manual. We saw major headway and progress on the manual during the month of July; as planned, it was submitted to them in the first week of August.

? Ali Institute Lahore

June 11, 2010, the Director of Ali Institute of Education Dr. A.H. Nayyer, visited TRC to get an inside look and in depth picture of our journey in the education sector. They were specifically interested in our role in bringing ECE to Pakistan in the public sector. They viewed our ECE learning resources and discussions took place on possible collaboration and networking in the future.

? Church World Service (CWS) Pakistan/Afghanistan

Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan is an international non-governmental organization. On June 17, 2010 CWS arranged for 25 adults and 25 students from rural Sindh to come to TRC for an exposure visit. The excitement was uncontainable in the children as they rotated between the library and our Early Childhood classrooms, where various resources and activities had been organised for them. A definite mark was made on the teachers as they learned about our history, vision, and mission. They viewed our ECE materials, familiarized themselves with various educational resources and expressed a particular interest in our Pehla Taleemi Basta. The visit was appreciated by everyone and TRC will be involved in upcoming ones.

? National Commission for Human Development (NCHD)

July 5, 2010, NCHD Director Education, Iqbal ur Rahman came to visit TRC. Not interested in re-developing the wheel, they came to learn about our history and journey, specifically pertaining to ECE. They viewed our ECD resources and discussed the possibility of TRC’s involvement as technical advisors in future NCHD ECE related initiatives.

? Teach for Pakistan (TfP) (Karachi) and Teach for All (global)

Teach for Pakistan is a local initiative that falls under the global Teach for All umbrella. While TfP has come to TRC in the past to have informative meetings, it was on July 5, 2010 that TRC met the entire existing TfP senior management team. TfP aims to hire fresh graduates from local universities and colleges and put them through an intense six week training programme which will enable them to teach in schools for two years. With their initiative launching in August 2011, they are interested in the possibility of having TRC develop and facilitate their training programme. On July 8, 2010 two senior Teach for All members visited TRC. Their role is to ensure global standards and procedures are met and followed. The main purpose of the visit was to acquaint themselves with potential partners and collaborations that TfP was exploring, as well as acquaint TRC with Teach for All philosophy.

? Director Education, Federal College of Education (FCE), Islamabad

August 2, 2010 Director Education FCE, Rafiq Tahir and two of his colleagues visited TRC. The purpose of the meeting was three-fold:

– They wanted to learn more about our ECE Certificate Programme and how the government could benefit from our expertise and experience.

– To view all our learning/teaching resources as well as any material we had developed.

– To discuss future collaboration with the Federal Government.

The meeting was informative and enjoyed by everyone in attendance. Many future collaboration options and avenues were discussed. Mr. Tahir expressed a particular interest in our 50-hour National Curriculum ECE Training of Trainers (NCECE-TOT) workshop in Islamabad, to build the capacity of ECE master trainers.

The outline for the workshop was sent to him and pending approval from the Ministry of Education, we look forward to working with the FCE to broaden our outreach and impact in the field of ECE.

? TV One

TV One representative Sahar Taher Khan visited TRC on September 16, 2010. Filming a documentary about the status of education in Pakistan, they are interested in showcasing private organizations who have been working to positively impact the education sector. TRC has agreed to participate in the documentary and filming is expected to begin sometime in October.

ED-LINKS

? ED-LINKS Visits TRC

June 16, 2010, ED-LINKS programme managers for Science, Mathematics and English came to TRC. We are developing digital learning materials for children of grades 6-8 in the mentioned subjects. The designed activities, wire frames and graphic designs for the materials were shared and appreciated by the ED-LINKS team who felt that the nature and details of activities planned will help enrich content knowledge, process skills and children?s interest in learning through technology. These near completed activities will soon be piloted in classrooms to get a fair sense of accessibility and relevance to school students of rural Sindh and Balochistan.

? TRC attends ED-LINKS planning meeting

August 9 – 10, 2010 TRC?s Amima Sayeed, participated in a planning meeting for ED-LINKS year 4 activities in Islamabad. In that meeting, EDLINKS, based on a request from USAID, engaged all partners in developing a response for flood-affected schools/districts in which it is present. TRC offered its teaching and learning resources which can be used effectively in safe-spaces for children to ensure they are engaged in meaningful learning activities.

Releasing Confidence & Creativity (RCC)

? EPI Data Entry Training

Under the RCC initiative, information on schools is collected and used for studying the impact of programme interventions. In this connection, Aga Khan Foundation, in collaboration with Aga Khan University-Human Development Programme, organized a 5-day training on the data entry process from June 1 to 5, 2010. The training focused on the use of EPI Software for data entry and analysis; all RCC Sindh Partners were invited to attend the training. Conducting intervention in 40 government schools of Karachi, TRC was also invited to participate. Our Office Assistant, Muhammad Wasif attended the training. The school profiles were duly completed and the data was sent to AKF for further processing.

? RCC Review & Planning Meeting

June 8, 2010, a team from AKFP comprising Ms. Zahra Ladhani, ECD Consultant, and Ms. Uzma Altaf, Programme Officer, M&E, visited TRC to discuss the RCC programme and future activities. TRC shared the challenges, successes and programme plans for 2011, where the focus will be to push the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) to initiate regularization of Katchi classes across towns. AKF shared that the RCC intervention is being expanded to two districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwah (namely Mansehra and Abbotabad) through engaging SUNGI and Mountainous Institute for Education Development (MIED) as partners. In this regard, TRC has been requested to provide technical support to MIED and Sungi through training teachers and familiarizing Head Teachers with the significance of ECE and the implementation of the National ECE Curriculum (NCECE).

? TRC conducts Needs Assessment with SUNGI and MIED Mentors

TRC will be training teachers and mentors from SUNGI and MIED under the RCC Programme. While the teachers will be taken through the NCECE Orientation Programme, the technical support for mentors of the respective institutes will be tailored according to their roles. Consequently, TRC conducted a needs assessment session with 20 mentors in Karachi on August 7, 2010.

After exploring their roles with respect to the RCC programme, mentors engaged in an interactive discussion on what they perceived as their needs with regard to undertaking mentoring responsibilities. While MIED participants have received advanced training on pedagogy, SUNGI participants have been more involved in community mobilization, school supervision and coordination activities. Key areas identified for capacity building included lesson planning, assessing young learners, active learning, providing feedback and support to teachers concerning team work, and curriculum implementation.

Upon sharing our findings with AKFP, TRC is now involved in developing a capacity building programme in response to the needs identified. It is expected that the workshop will be held in December.

? Refresher ECE Workshop for RCC Project Schools

August 9 – 10, 2010, TRC conducted a workshop titled Behter Mustaqbil Ki Janib Gamzan for our 40 RCC project schools of Jamshed and Korangi Towns.

Facilitated by our Training and Development Team members, Farzana Kauser, Seema Yasmin, Nighat Hasan, and Mehnaz Amir Ali, the workshop focused on the National Curriculum for ECE and teachers, guide, Mazboot Bunyadaen. Participants learnt about the importance of implementing developmentally appropriate classroom activities in their daily routine and the importance of ECE and active learning. Topics covered in this workshop included Classroom Environment, Classroom Support, Daily Routine, Plan-Do-Review, and Observation and Assessment.

The RCC project started in 2009, and since then we have been focusing mainly on setting up the physical environment and on developmentally appropriate practices in the 40 schools. This year we aim to focus much more on improving the psychosocial environment during our classroom support visits.

? Photographs for Nuture

Under the RCC initiative, Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) manages various publications, of which Nurture Magazine is a part. On September 30, 2010 SEF representatives facilitated by Seema Yasmin from TRC, visited some of our project partner schools in Korangi Town. The purpose of the visit was to take photographs for Nurture Magazine.

Workshops on Request

? Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) Lahore

ITA requested TRC to design and facilitate a National Curriculum ECE Training of Trainers (NCECE-TOT) workshop. Facilitated by TRC’s Nighat Hasan and Farzana Kauser (and a sneak peak by our Director Programme Development Mahenaz Mahmud on the last day), it was held in Lahore from May 10 -15, 2010.

TRC was mainly sought out to train 19 participants who will then provide ECE training to 200 teachers, thereby greatly improving the quality of schools and teachers in Punjab.

In keeping with TRC pedagogy, the 48-hour NCECE-TOT workshop was informative, activity packed and engaging. It mainly focused on the importance of the way ECE is conducted and emphasized the importance of creating an atmosphere conducive to activity based learning. This workshop was a resounding success!

? Health Oriented Preventive Education (HOPE)

A workshop titled Multi Grade Jamatoon Mein Moasar Tadrees was held for Hope School teachers at Hope Secondary school, Zia colony Korangi. This 15-hour workshop was held from July 5 – 9, 2010 and was attended by a total of 25 teachers.

TRC’s Training and Development team members, Nighat Hasan and Seema Yasmin conducted the workshop, which was based on the multi grade method of education. The participants were introduced to the importance of active learning. Some of the topics covered were: Stages of Development and Developmental Domains, How Children Learn and Activity Based Learning.

The participants also learned about developmentally appropriate classroom activities that they would need to implement throughout the daily routine. Different teaching-learning methods such as, group work, discussions, role-play, case studies, brainstorming and interactive lectures were used. The participants were mostly young, energetic, enthusiastic, motivated and vocal. They shared their school experiences and discussed their concerns regarding the multi-grade classroom environment.

? Minwala Girls’ School Cantt.

August 2, 6, 9, and 10, 2010, TRC’s Mrs. Naqvi conducted a school focused workshop for Minwala Girls’ School Cantt. on Effective Teaching. Despite challenges such as rain and school closure due to turmoil in the city which resulted in a break in the continuity of sessions and sporadic attendance, the workshop was a success.

The Topics covered included: Concepts of Learning, Learning Styles, Levels of Thinking, Role of the Teacher in the Learning Process and Effective Teaching Methods. Responses received from the teachers during the training sessions showed that they understood the concepts being highlighted and candidly shared the issues faced in their teaching.Even though the Cantt. schools are expected to follow the pre-determined, exam-oriented curriculum, it was rewarding to see teachers beginning to question the effectiveness in the set pattern being followed in their school. We are optimistic that teachers will continue to receive the support of school management in implementing the concepts learned in their classrooms.

? PECHS Girls’ School Display Boards

To increase awareness and critical thinking skills, every month teachers from PECHS Girls’ School are required to put up display boards covering a variety of social, cultural and educational topics not covered in the curriculum. In this regard, TRC has been involved in reviewing and giving feedback to teachers since April 2010. Based on the feedback and input given, PECHS asked TRC to hold a session before the summer break, in which specific guidelines were given and all layouts for August 2010 were reviewed. TRC’s Assistant Director, Natasha Ansari is responsible for this project.

On August 13 2010, the display boards were reviewed once again. Although there is still considerable work to be done, it was rewarding to see the improvement in the creativity, presentation and content of the boards. TRC will continue to remain involved in the process and provide feedback.

Workshops, Meetings & Conferences

? Review of DSD ECE Training Manual

Directorate of Staff Development (Punjab) in collaboration with UNESCO held an ECE training manual review meeting on June 15, 2010 in Lahore. The manual was developed by DSD and they invited various organizations from both the public and private sectors to give their feedback on the document. On behalf of TRC, Training and Development team member, Farzana Kauser, attended the meeting.

? TRC visits PITE Sindh, Nawabshah

September 16, 2010 TRC Training and Development Team (TDT) members Mehnaz Amir Ali and Nighat Hasan visited the PITE Sindh facility in Nawabshah. The main purpose of the visit was to familiarize TRC with PITE facilities and functions so as to provide input and support where needed.

Informative and enjoyable, our TDT members were given a tour of the PITE premises as well as their school, which holds both primary and secondary classes. They also viewed the ECE resource room and were given a detailed multimedia presentation on basic information and current projects that PITE Sindh is involved in.

? TRC to Conduct 50-hour Workshop at PITE Sindh

September 27 -? October 2, 2010, TRC Training and Development Team members, Nighat Hasan and Mehnaz Amir Ali will be conducting our 50-hour National Curriculum ECE Training of Trainers (NCECE-TOT) to build the capacity of ECE master trainers at PITE Sindh.

? Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE)

The Pakistan Coalition of Education (PCE) was established in 2005, as a civil society group committed to the improvement of quality education in Pakistan with the support of Commonwealth Education Fund – Pakistan. PCE works in more than 60 districts with 130 members.

Since last year, PCE is working on its reconstitution and making its aims, programmes, and membership base stronger. In this regard, PCE pursued TRC to not just become a member, but participate in the election process for the Board of Directors as well. On June 30, 2010 TRC became a member of the PCE and is also representing Sindh on the Board.

? TRC Attends PCE Board Meeting

Pakistan Coalition for Education (PCE) organized the first meeting of its newly elected Board on September 15, 2010. Being a provincial representative, TRC participated in the meeting. Amongst other items, selecting a chairperson and vice chairperson as well as co-opted members was on the agenda. The Board agreed to increase the number of co-opted members to five in order to include instrumental and diverse individuals both from the field of education and outside. Members unanimously elected Mr. Mukhtar Ahmed Ali from Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives as Chairperson and Ms. Amima Sayeed from TRC, as the Vice-Chairperson.

With respect to PCE’s vision, direction and programmes, it was agreed that the National Secretariat will provide details of PCE’s work to date, while the Board will advise on future strategies. Education provision in emergency situations and the need to push government for rethinking the systems in the reconstruction process was highlighted. PCE will engage the Senate Committee on Education and Women Parliamentary Caucus to share educational issues and recommendations for implementing NEP 2009 and Right to Education Act.

? TRC Invited to Attend UNESCO Conference in Moscow

TRC Director Programme Development, Mahenaz Mahmud has been invited to participate in the first UNESCO World conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (WCECCE). The Conference is scheduled from September 27 – 29, 2010 in Moscow City, Russian Federation. The objectives of the WCECCE are to:

– Strengthen political commitment to early childhood care and education.

– Map a course of action for accelerating progress towards Education for All (EFA) Goal 1 and related Millennium Development Goals.

TRC, based on its extensive work in the public sector for ECE, has been requested to share its experiences and lessons learned in the commission titled, “Capacity building to effectively deliver ECCE services”.

? TRC attends Pakistan Children’s Television Provincial Workshop

September 30, 2010 Rafipeer Theatre Workshop (RPTW), in collaboration with USAID Pakistan and Sesame Workshop, held a Pakistan Children?s Television Provincial Workshop at the Karachi Arts Council.

Combining puppetry, music, dance, live shows, technology and television encompassing TV, radio, live events and interactive websites, RPTW aims to create a memorable host of characters and a show, which will not only serve to address crucial themes and reinforce positive messages, but that will live forever as part of the fondest childhood memories of the adults of tomorrow.

As part of their research and development phase RPTW invited local educational policy makers, specialists and regional authorities on education and development to help identify the specific needs of each regional area in Pakistan. Natasha Ansari, Assistant Director TRC, participated and helped identify the needs and concerns as well as provide feedback on themes we felt were critical and needed to be addressed.
Attended by artists, literary committee members, school heads and various other organizations, the group brought rich, diverse individuals from all walks of life. Everyone in attendance felt the workshop was much needed and we look forward to seeing the show in production.