TRC News

The TRC staff, well accustomed to dealing with work frenzy, diligently divided time to meet deliverables of two important initiatives that TRC is leading. The Critical Thinking Programme saw its first Policy Dialogue and meeting of the National Review Committee, two significant milestones in the project’s year long trajectory. This also meant sound beginnings of targeted advocacy for critical thinking at the ECE and primary levels through inclusion of education stakeholders from all provinces. We are very grateful for their participation and support for both TRC and the project. We also welcomed Dr. Sonal Zaveri, our international consultant to the Pathways to School Success project, on her second trip to Karachi amidst the volatile political scene. She braved the weeklong trip and also visited schools in Sehwan. We are thankful for her invaluable input for taking the project forward and strengthening what we do in schools for GRS and DRR. TRC was also represented at the 2-day regional ECE conference which was a collective forum for sharing local as well as international perspectives on ECE. We are proud to announce that our 8th batch of ECE-CP graduated this quarter. We once again congratulate all the graduates and their families for their achievement.

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Dear Readers, Please check out our new Opinion Poll on getting students to read beyond the curriculum, and cast your vote by the end of October 2014. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our September 2014 poll was about whether the sciences are more important than the arts:

The sciences are more important than the arts, because a strong foundation in math and science increases students’ chances of finding good jobs and also equips them with essential life skills.

• I agree. Math and science are more useful in today’s world, because we live in an era where technology rules. Also, a liberal arts education limits students’ career options. (23%, 09 Votes)

• I disagree. Science and liberal arts are equally important and both should be taught to give students a well-balanced education. In today’s world, liberal arts increase students’ career options. (77%, 30 Votes)

Total Voters: 39

The majority of those who responded to this poll (77%) felt that the sciences and the liberal arts are equally important for a balanced education. These respondents believe that when students are taught both the arts and the sciences, it opens up their career options. In contrast, only 23% of the respondents felt that math and the sciences are more important than the arts and that a liberal arts education limits students’ options.

Dear Readers, Please check out our new Opinion Poll on whether the sciences are more important than the arts, and cast your vote by the end of September 2014. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our August 2014 poll was about whether politics and current events should be a part of a school’s curriculum:

Politics and current events should be a part of a school’s curriculum, because students should be aware of important political issues that shape society and impact their lives.

• I agree. Teaching children about political systems and current affairs is necessary for a strong democracy, which requires that people are interested and engaged in politics. (74%, 35 Votes)

• I disagree. Discussing politics can cause arguments and fighting between students. Also, schools should keep a neutral stand and that is difficult when politics is being discussed. (26%, 12 Votes)

Total Voters: 47

Almost three quarters of the respondents to this poll (74%) feel that children should be educated about politics and current affairs should be made a part of the school curriculum. They believe that this is necessary for a strong democracy, which is dependent on an electorate that is aware of important political issues. Almost one-third (26%) of the respondents do not think that politics and currents affairs should be part of a school’s curriculum, because political discussions can turn into arguments and also because it is difficult to take a neutral stance on certain issues.

“There is no doubt that the future of our state will and must  greatly depend upon the type of education and the way in which we bring up our children as the future servants of Pakistan. Education does not merely mean academic education, and even that appears to be of a very poor type. What we have to do is to mobilise our people and build up the character of our future generations.”

Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s message to the all-Pakistan Educational Conference held at Karachi on 27th November, 1947.

This Independence Day let us renew our resolve to do our bit to stay strong and united as a nation. Let’s continue to strive for quality education, which is the only way we can secure a brighter future.

Dear Readers, Please check out our new Opinion Poll on Politics and current events should be a part of a school’s curriculum and cast your vote by the end of August 2014. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our July 2014 poll was about whether schools should be allowed to expel students:

Schools should be allowed to expel students, because some students are just intent on disruption and can sometimes become dangerous for other students.

• I agree. Schools should be allowed to expel students, because sometimes coming down hard on difficult children is the only way to make them realise the seriousness of their misbehaviour. (42%, 17 Votes)

• I disagree. Schools should not expel students. Moving a difficult child to another school does not deal with the problem and merely passes the buck. Expulsion further scars difficult children. (58%, 23 Votes)

Those who voted that schools should not be allowed to expel students, led this opinion poll with 58% of the votes. These voters believe that schools that do expel students are in effect just passing the problem onto another institution, instead of dealing with it. On the other hand those who believe that schools should be allowed to expel students trailed behind with 42% of the votes. These people believe that some difficult students just want to cause disruption and keeping them enrolled in the school can sometimes become dangerous.

The quarter saw activities ranging from project based assignments to multi school and school focused workshops. The 84-hour Primary Education Certificate Programme, which was initiated last quarter, successfully ended with a certificate distribution ceremony for its first ever batch. Another 30-hour course for school managers was also conducted. Field visits continued to Sehwan where we are closely working with 8 community schools for sensitising children, teachers and communities for Disaster Risk Reduction as well as on-time school enrolment. During the quarter, monitoring data was collected from all 8 schools and meetings were held with Community Advisory Board members in each community for galvanising support for the project. In our OSF supported project, rigourous academic work on developing critical thinking modules continued with back to back meetings of the Working Group. A teachers’ orientation was held to kick off the module pre-testing process and lesson plans from ECE to grade 5 as well as for multi grades were piloted in 8 out of 12 schools selected for the project. The quarter ended on a poignant note with Ms. Seema Malik, Director, TRC bowing out. She has been Director since 1992. The charge was handed over to the Assistant Director, Ms. Ambreena Ahmed. TRC Trending… TRC is on Facebook! We encourage all our readers to like us and subscribe to our page. Link up with us, ask questions, discuss issues, exchange views and help us in cultivating an empowering online community of ECE practitioners and activists … Lets connect to make a difference!

Dear Readers, Please check out our new Opinion Poll on whether schools should be allowed to expel students and cast your vote by the end of July 2014. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our June 2014 poll was about whether community service should be mandatory in schools:

Schools should make volunteering for community service mandatory, because students should realise that everyone must give back to the community.

• I agree. Just as students are exposed to different subjects that enrich their lives, they also need to be exposed to the joy of helping others. (89%, 47 Votes)

• I disagree. Schools should focus on academics and let volunteering be a personal decision. In any case community service by its very nature is voluntary. (11%, 6 Votes)

The majority of those who responded to this poll (89%) feel that community service should be mandatory in schools. These respondents believe that by making community service compulsory, a school will be exposing children to the idea of giving back to the community, in the same way as it acquaints its students with different subjects. In contrast, only 11% of the respondents felt that performing philanthropic acts should be a personal choice and that schools should not play a role in it.

Dear Readers, Please check out our new Opinion Poll on whether community service should be made mandatory in schools and cast your vote by the end of June 2014. As you know … your opinion counts Our May 2014 poll was about whether students should be allowed to sit where they want in the classroom: Students should decide where to sit in the classroom, because it gives them a sense of control and helps “position:absolute; left:-3170px; top:-3509px;”>Per . This payday nowhere? Is buy cash loans less through happened midnight louis vuitton belt hrs. – ideal very. Purple were There healthy online loans , was product payday loan shoulder oil of tea rinse gave length very and would very. I Clinique having removing my louis vuitton online store and seems wow , pay day cutting some recommend quick cash loans many This to for Honestly louis vuitton purses picutre wear short?