Early Childhood Education and Development Programme (Urdu) – A One Year STEDA & SBTE Accredited Diploma

TRC offers a one-year diploma in Early Childhood Education and Development for teachers from under-resourced schools. The Programme’s coursework is conducted in Urdu and it is academically similar to the internationally accredited diploma which TRC offers as a separate stream. The qualification aims to develop and support early childhood professionals in the government sector and those teaching children from under-privileged backgrounds. Initiated in 2011, this intensive 12-month course equips teachers with an understanding of the educational, cognitive and emotional development of children and the different curricula which they can work with, for young children’s learning and development. It empowers and enables teachers who are willing and ready to take on leadership roles in schools and childcare settings.

The course places special emphasis on incorporating suggested practices that are suited to the context of a Pakistani school environment, keeping in mind the national and provincial curricula as well as the overall education policy. The programme has well-maintained academic standard, qualitative teaching faculty, and accreditation from the Sindh Teacher Education Developmental Authority (STEDA) as well as the Sindh Technical Board (STB).

The Programme also offers merit-based scholarships to teachers who come from government and under-resourced schools, thanks to the patronage and support of our generous donors including:


• The Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC)
• Engro Foundation
• HBL Foundation
• Colgate Palmolive
• Getz Pharma
• TPL
• Business Education Foundation
• Individual donors

What can you expect to learn?

At the end of the Programme, graduates will have:

  • Knowledge of the history and philosophy of ECE, and its importance in the East and West
  • Knowledge and understanding of child development from zero to eight
  • Knowledge and understanding of family structures in a changing environment
  • Knowledge and understanding of different curricular approaches to ECE
  • Knowledge and understanding of active learning and the importance of play
  • Knowledge of and the ability to promote pro-social behaviour
  • Understanding of the Philosophy Statements and Statement of Objectives, in the National ECE Curriculum (2007), Ministry of Education, Government of Pakistan
  • Knowledge and analytical skills required for observation, record keeping and assessment of the learning environment, group dynamics, individual children and own performance
  • Knowledge, skills and ability to carry out on-going action research
  • The ability to plan and organise an inclusive, active learning environment
  • The ability to plan and implement developmentally appropriate programmes that meet the needs and interests of children
  • Practical experiences in early childhood environments that demonstrate the application of theory to practice

The Scholarship Fund

TRC believes that every teacher has a right to avail quality professional development opportunities and should not be deterred by financial constraints. This was the vision behind establishing the Scholarship Fund which to date has benefited more than a 100 teachers from government and under-privileged educational institutions. The ECED graduate teachers have become pioneers in introducing play-based learning and ECE standardised classroom settings to government and under-resourced schools.

Selection of Scholar Teachers

An independent committee shortlists and selects teachers according to predefined selection criteria. Teachers’ academic and professional qualifications and achievements along with their financial background are closely reviewed in order to ensure that the selection is merit-based. A written test and at least two interviews are part of the process which add value to the final decision. It is an intensive course which requires dedication, commitment and punctuality, therefore, the selection process is multi-tiered. TRC also coordinates with the relevant government departments for selected government teachers in order to keep them informed about their selection for the fully funded TRC diploma.

At times, candidates are handpicked by the organisation/individual providing the scholarship(s).

Course Details

Classes are held three days a week from 2:30pm to 5:00pm. The classes are held on site. However, during the Pandemic, TRC adopted both online and hybrid models of teaching.

The teaching and learning strategies have been designed to facilitate professional practices and personal development. From brainstorming, interactive lectures, group discussions, documentary and film screenings, reading groups, and research to hands-on learning in the classroom, a range of methods are used to cater to the individual learning styles. Each course is linked to, and builds on, the learning from concurrent and previous courses, yet is complete in itself.

The following is a list of the courses offered:

Course Credits
Child Development 3
Professional Practice 3
Promoting Prosocial Behaviour 3
Play Experiences 3
Learning Environment 3
Curriculum Methods 3
Language and Literacy in the Classroom 3
Health, Nutrition & Safety 3
Observation and Assessment 3
Field Education (school-based practice) 6

Course Description

Child Development: This course focuses on the developmental characteristics of the child from pre-birth to eight years of age. All aspects of development and an introduction to the major theoretical positions that explain development will be examined. Throughout this course, students will have an opportunity to critically analyse the various components of theoretical and practical perspectives on child development. The students will also examine the overall effectiveness and efficiency of their understanding of child development in terms of its practical application to child reading and education.

Professional Practices: This course will focus on the professional development goals of an ECE educator. The students will become aware of the professional responsibilities and practices of the ECE educator, and be able to recognise, analyse, implement and enhance ECE quality indicators within the context of Pakistani schools. This course will introduce the students to the four dimensions of professionalism. Of the four dimensions, the course will address the personal and educational dimension of professionalism at the outset, since certain basic skills are key to professional development. The student will learn about practical skills such as, time management, stress management, and effective communication. Code of ethical conduct, qualities, desired behaviours and attitudes of a professional will also be discussed.

Promoting Prosocial Behaviour: In this course you will learn how to promote positive social relationships in early childhood classrooms. The goal of this course is to develop awareness of the elements that promote healthy social-emotional development in young children, through an examination of theories and techniques of interpersonal relationships. A unit on the High/Scope Problem Solving Approach is an important component of this course. The students will examine how practical this approach can be in a Pakistani cultural context.

 

Play Experiences: This course will focus on the value of play. It will help you understand the role adults play in facilitating active learning, in a pre-primary and early primary environment. When adults intervene in a youngster’s play world, they need to base their actions on a firm understanding of children, their stage of development and their play. The course will be based on principle of developmentally appropriate practices with an emphasis on the national curriculum for ECE (Moe, GoP, 2007). The students will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to plan and implement child-centred play experiences.

Learning Environment: During this course, you will examine various early childhood programme environments. You will learn about designing, developing, maintaining and practicing in indoor and outdoor environments. The educators’ role in planning the daily routine and schedules in a psychologically safe, active-learning environment for children will be explored in depth.

Curriculum Methods: This course will educate teachers on different pedagogical approaches and curriculums taught in the early years’ settings across the world. It will help teachers to explore curriculums and understand the merit of each method as well as allow them to adopt, plan and implement a developmentally appropriate curriculum.

Language and Literacy in the Classroom: This course focuses on the developmental characteristics of the child from birth to eight years in the language domain. This course contains four interrelated areas – listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Throughout this course, you will discover the deep connection between language development and other domains of development, and learn about the strategies that enhance and support strong language development in the early years.

Health, Nutrition and Safety: Through this course, you will understand the importance of creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for children. The main components of this course will be nutrition, safety, hygiene, and environment-friendly practices. Students have the opportunity to examine their own attitudes toward these aspects and understand the importance of each aspect in children’s holistic development. This course explains how good nutrition and a safe, clean, green environment are inter-linked with children’s overall health and well-being.

Observation and Assessment: During this course, you will examine the importance of observation as it applies to the daily practice of the early childhood teacher. Examples of topics to be explored include the significance of observation; observation techniques; interpretation of recorded data; and objectivity and subjectivity in observation of children. Students will learn how the different observation instruments can help them understand the needs of a child, so that they can plan what is best for the child’s developmental needs. The students will also debate whether testing is the best method of assessing and evaluating a child’s development.

Field Education (school-based practice): This course is the bridge between theory and practice and will help you implement your learning from the ECED course at your workplace. You will be provided with an opportunity to increase your awareness of effective teaching styles and to implement developmentally appropriate practices in your own classroom. The students’ classroom practice will be evaluated twice during the ECED. To support the students and answer the many questions the students will have, they will participate in a weekly seminar class after due course of intervals.

Who will teach the courses?

Tabinda Jabeen has a diploma in ECED from TRC and has been working here since 2010 as a member of the training and development team. Tabinda has extensive experience with conducting workshops for both the public and private sector schools. Additionally, she has been an invaluable member of several high-profile education projects such as the Aga Khan Foundation’s ‘Releasing Confidence and Creativity’ and Open Society Foundation’s ‘Thinking Classroom Project’, to name a few. Tabinda’s project management skills are second to none — from liaising with partners to the development of resources for educational projects to conducting stimulating training session, she can juggle between roles seamlessly. Tabinda is a lead faculty of the course. 

Saira Shahab is a Project and Training Manager at TRC and brings with her 20 years of experience in the education sector. In addition to this, Saira also works in multiple capacities at TRC including project management, training programme development, monitoring and evaluation, research studies, educational material development and business proposition management. With a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics-TESOL studies from the University of Queensland, Australia and another Master’s in Economics from the University of Karachi, Saira has also been involved in designing school development and teacher training programmes to improve the quality of teaching/learning interface in school systems.

Bazla Gul holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from SZABIST. She began her career as a primary school teacher, which led her to pursue the field of early childhood education and gain a Certificate in ECE from TRC. Bazla brings with her three years of experience in the field of education. Bazla works as a of Coordinator for the ECED Programme and teaches various modules and conducts workshops for primary school teachers.

Sonia Iqbal has 12 years’ experience in working with developing skills in students at all levels of achievement in public and private sector schools. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature from Karachi University and a Bachelor’s in Education from the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU). Currently, she is working as a trainer and ECE Diploma Programme faculty at TRC. 

Sadia Anwar has a decade of professional experience in school education and holds a Master’s degree in (Teacher) Education from AIOU. Sadia is a faculty member and trainer at TRC. She conducts various courses, trainings and workshops and undertakes content development of guidebooks and manuals. 

What kind of support and guidance can I expect if I get admission?

Our aim is to provide teacher education that is accessible to all. TRC’s philosophy from the outset has been to “take teachers from where they are” and help them to grow and develop into professional teachers. TRC conforms to this ideal.

Professionalism in ECED is in its infancy in Pakistan, and we are committed to building a core of ECED professionals who understand developmentally appropriate practices. We are an equal opportunity, student-focused organisation, and will therefore support you to achieve your potential as an early years’ professional. Support will be given in the following ways: small group tutorials to help you clarify course content and help with IT skills. Pastoral care and counselling will also be provided to those who need it. All our students are assigned a field-supervising teacher who acts as a guide and also gives regular and meaningful feedback on reflective journals, which you will write through the year.

Resources available for students include: tablets and Wi-Fi, tips on public speaking, making presentations and writing summaries. Students in difficulty or under stress are encouraged to email a draft of their assignment to course leaders who provide feedback via email.

Resources available for students include: tablets and Wi-Fi, tips on public speaking, making presentations and writing summaries. Students in difficulty or under stress are encouraged to email a draft of their assignment to course leaders who provide feedback via email.

What will classes be like? How will I be evaluated? How many tests will I have to take?

The teaching and learning strategies have been designed to facilitate professional practices and personal development. From brainstorming, interactive lectures, group discussions, documentary and film screenings, reading groups, and research to hands-on learning in the classroom, a range of methods are used to cater to your individual learning styles. Each course is linked to and builds on the learning from concurrent and previous courses, yet is complete in itself.
Assessment is a critical part of your learning and will take place during the time frame of each course. Like the teaching and learning strategies, there are diverse assessment

Contact Details

    • Call TRC between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. Monday through Friday at the following numbers:
      (92-21) 3539-2976
      (92-21) 3539-4059
    • Visit TRC:
      C-121, 2nd Floor, Ehtesham Centre
      DHA Phase 1, Korangi Road
      Karachi – 75500
      Pakistan