This was a busy and productive period for TRC. During this period TRC conducted 18 workshops and also successfully hosted a one-day ‘Thinking Classroom and Critical Thinking: Reshaping Educational Prospects’ academic conference for both public and private school teachers. Participants at the conference were able to attend 8 highly informative and interactive sessions and the event created a buzz about TRC. A critical thinking activity book and training video, which were created as part of TRC’s “Thinking Classroom” project, were launched at the conference.

During this period, TRC also became a part of a learning initiative called ‘Badal Do!’ which engaged schools and teachers, equipping them with tools of inclusive learning. TRC conducted a 3-day “Training of Master Trainers” as part of Badal Do! and was nominated the training lead for a consortium of 7 organisations that are part of the project. Our team trained nearly 200 teachers to carry out reflective practices. This was an important aspect of Badal Do!’s strategy which seeks to enhance teachers’ capacity for self-evaluation and helps them understand their influence on children and the community through these training sessions.

In May 2017, the Karachi Youth Initiative invited TRC to be part of the Partner Learning and Sharing Session that it had organised for its partner organisations. The purpose of the meeting was to generate ideas for a stronger and more resilient society, and share experiences and best practices.

TRC and the British Asian Trust (BAT) also collaborated for the “Strengthening ECE Provisions through Peer to Peer Learning in Government Schools”. The project seeks to deliver and promote a complete model for the ECE curriculum in government schools in low income urban areas.

TRC was represented at the Reform Support Unit’s policy dialogue on Early Childhood Care and Education and in March 2017 our representatives also presented on “The Thinking Classroom” project at the National Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education in Islamabad.

After a year of hectic activity and lots of learning, ECED-P students successfully completed their second and third (and final) term in the programme.

In June, our team members were also invited by the School Education Department, Sindh to share their expertise during a review of the draft curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education, 2017. Our team members evaluated the draft and shared their findings with SED.

TRC also hosted an orientation session for the TKT (Teachers Knowledge Test) programme at its premises. TKT is a professional credential that focuses on core teaching concepts for teachers of English as a foreign language.

Finally, TRC continued its usual support activities for teachers and schools through its workshop programme and by chairing school events.

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Projects

TRC hosts Academic Conference

On 18th March 2017 TRC hosted a one-day ‘Thinking Classroom and Critical Thinking: Reshaping Educational Prospects’ academic conference at the Karachi School of Business and Leadership. Ambreena Ahmed, director TRC welcomed public and private school teachers to the conference. Over 500 teachers attended the 8 sessions. The Keynote speakers at the conference were Rafique Tahir, Joint Educational Advisor Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Asfand Yar Khan, director of Global Partnership for Education in Balochistan and Nargis Sultana of the Open Society Foundation. Pop star Shahzad Roy, founder of the Zindagi Trust, which is working to improve the quality of education in the country, also attended the conference.

A critical thinking activity book and training video which were created as part of TRC’s “Thinking Classroom” project were launched at the conference by members of the Board of Governors, Azra Raza, Abdul Rehman Mithani and Rana Hussain. Public sector teachers attended morning and private sector teachers attended 4 informative and interactive sessions in the morning which were, “Creating Inclusive Classroom” (Noshin Khan, Anum), “Creating Thinking Classrooms in Public Sector Schools” (Ambreena Ahmed and Farzana Kausar), “Action Research” (Rubina Naqvi and Saira Shahab), and “Media Literacy” (Tabinda Jabeen and Hammad Naqvi). Private school teachers attended the afternoon session, which were, “Creating Inclusive Classroom” (Noshin Khan, Ali Sayeddain), “Critical Thinking Through Art, Play and Story Telling” (Sheetal Suleman and Tabinda Jabeen), “Action Research” (Rubina Naqvi and Saira Shahab), and “Media Literacy” (Shahrezad Samiuddin and Hammad Naqvi).

TRC & BAT Collaborate

The ‘Strengthening ECE Provisions through Peer to Peer Learning in Government Schools’ project was developed with the collaborative efforts of Teachers’ Resource Centre (TRC) and British Asian Trust (BAT). The goal of this project was to deliver and promote a complete model for the ECE curriculum in government schools in low-income urban areas. The project will test the model for quality learning improvement by positioning inputs for teacher development & pedagogy; ECE materials provision; and engagement of peer learners as mentors in government schools. As an added value, the project will also develop social and life skills of young learners from Grades 6-8 in the same government schools by engaging them as mentors for younger learners. The project will engage the local government of three Karachi districts; East, South and Central in 20 schools where ECE facilities are lacking or missing. This project will enable the completion of a replicable ECE model for adoption in government schools while indirectly impacting parent awareness and demand for quality ECE provision.

TRC conducts Badal Do’s ToMT

A 3-day Badal Do! “Training of Master Trainers” (ToMT) took place from 8th to 10th of March 2017 at the TRC office. Twenty-two women and twelve men from consortium partners participated in the training. The participants appreciated the training and recognised the enhancement in their capacity as trainers. TRC office administration provided extended support during the event. Participants were very responsive and showed keen interest in training activities. They also appreciated the different videos clips shared by consortium partners.

Badal Do! Launch

TRC is one of the 7 organisations that are part of a new learning initiative ‘Badal Do!’. The initiative will engage with hundreds of schools through their teachers from a cross section of the society and equip them with tools for inclusive learning. The “Badal Do!” launch took place on the 25th of March 2017 at Arts Council Karachi. The response of teachers during the ceremony was encouraging and there was considerable excitement about the project and its activities. Two hundred and sixty teachers and 90 people from different walks of life participated in the launch ceremony.

TRC is Training Lead of the Badal Do! Project

TRC is one of the members of Badal Do! a unique initiative launched by a consortium of 7 organisations: Teachers’ Resource Centre (TRC), AzCorp Entertainment, Society for International Education (SIE), Pak-American Cultural Centre (PACC), Children’s Museum for Peace and Human Rights (CMPHR), Mindmap Communications and The School of Writing (TSW). TRC is the training lead for Badal Do!.

The Badal Do! teacher training programme was launched in April 2017 and will conclude in December 2017. Two-hundred teachers from a diverse range of private schools have been trained under the initiative. This project aims to inculcate reflective practice as an essential skill in teachers to help them transform themselves into advocates of peace, social inclusion, diversity and tolerance in the classrooms and beyond. The trainings enabled teachers to enhance their capacity to self-evaluate, examine the value systems they bring to the classrooms and help them understand the significance and implications of their influence on children and the community at large. By participating in this capacity development programme, not only do teachers access and benefit from a diversely rich training model but also become part of a larger community that comes together to create impact and reshape our roles as global and local citizens, peace advocates and primary influencers in classrooms.

Multi-School Workshops

During this reporting period, 17 workshops were organised titled ‘Effective Use of Words’, ‘Motivational Techniques to Teach Science’, ‘Designing SMART Objectives’, ‘Staff Development: Assessing Needs and Devising Strategies’, ‘Cooperative Learning’, ‘Teaching Multiplication and Division’, ‘Why do Children Fail?’, ‘Classroom Management’, ‘Souti Tareeqa Tadrees’, ‘Child as a Creative and Critical Thinker’, ‘Mysteries of a Mixed Ability Classroom – Unlocked’, ‘Inquiry-based Learning’, ‘Working Collaboratively with Parents’, ‘Designing Displays in the Classroom’, ‘Inclusive Education in the Early Years’, ‘Action Research’ and ‘Promoting Thinking Skills through Art, Play and Story Telling’ which were attended by a total of 289 participants.

Two short courses of 15 hours each were also organised during this reporting period titled, ‘Child Development’ and ‘Curriculum Experiences’ which were attended by a total of 18 participants.

School Focused Workshop

TRC conducts session for Ilm-un-Nisa Trust Vocational Centre

A two-hour talk session on ‘Lesson Planning’ was conducted by TRC’s Rubina Naqvi at Ilm-un Nisa Vocational Centre on Saturday 7 January 2017. It was attended by 22 teachers and school heads from the low-income schools located in the Gizri area.

The elements of an effective lesson plan: i.e. designing objectives, managing time, planning different teaching methods, selecting appropriate resources to match the plan and assessing the learning and teaching in the classroom were discussed during the session.

TRC Trains Mari Petroleum Teachers

Mari Petroleum Company limited, requested TRC to conduct a professional development workshop for their teachers at Mari Field, District Ghotki, Sindh. TRC’s Farzana Kausar and Tabinda Jabeen conducted a school-focused workshop for a mixed group of 36 teachers who worked with children from the preprimary grades to higher secondary. The ‘Professional Development for Teachers’ workshop was conducted on June 14 and 15, 2017. The objectives of the workshop were to enable teachers to understand the learning process, reflect on the theory of multiple intelligences, become aware of the importance and different aspects of critical thinking, and explore various dimensions of professionalism.

ECEDP-News

The Second Semester of the ECEDP Ends

The second semester of the Early Childhood Education and Development Programme (English and Urdu) culminated on April 6, 2017. Three courses, “Learning Environment”, “Promoting Prosocial Behaviour” and “Observation and Assessment” were taught during this period. Several assignments were completed in class and a flipped approach was adopted. Students enjoyed all three courses and gave positive feedback. It was a very productive semester as all 38 teachers (21 from the private sector and 17 from the public sector) attended classes regularly and consistently engaged in discussions.

The 3rd Semester of ECEDP Concludes

The 3rd semester of the Early Childhood Education and Development Programme (English and Urdu) concluded in June, 2017. The 3 courses taught during this period were Health, Nutrition and Safety, Professional Practice and History and Philosophy of Education. As part of the course requirements by CACHE, TRC invited Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to conduct a first aid training with teachers in both the English and Urdu programmes, which enhanced their capacity to deal with emergencies at school. This was the final semester of the one-year ECED programme. The graduation ceremony will be held in September 2017. TRC congratulates the 38 (21 private sector and 17 public sector) graduating teachers and wishes them luck in all future endeavours.

Events

TRC’s 30th Annual General Meeting

The 30th Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of the Teachers’ Resource Centre (TRC) was held at the TRC premises on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Eight Governing Body Members, 17 heads of schools and teachers representing 20 institutions were present in addition to TRC staff members.

Azra Raza, Chairperson TRC, welcomed all the participants to the AGM and Ambreena Ahmed, Director, TRC, presented the Director’s Report, giving the Governing Body Members an update on the number of new initiatives, workshops, projects and activities completed during the reporting period.

A.R. Mithani, Honorary Treasurer, presented the financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2016.

TRC at the Mama Parsi Girls’ Secondary School

On January 31, 2017, TRC’s Rubina Naqvi was invited to attend the English Elocution Contest at Mama Parsi School as a judge. Girls from Grade 9 and 11 recited excerpts from different texts confidently and with clarity. Prizes were awarded to the winners.

TRC at BVS Parsi High School

TRC’s Rubina Naqvi attended the English Elocution Contest as a judge at BVS Parsi School on February 3, 2017. The participants of the contest were students of Class 10 representing different schools of the city. Students recited a poem from a given list and used a prop of their choice to support the theme of their poem. Prizes were awarded to the first, second and third position winners.

TRC at Reflection School’s Maths Smart Contest

Rubina Naqvi of TRC attended the Maths Smart Contest as a judge at Reflection School on Thursday 9 February 2017. Five Karachi schools participated in the event. There were individual prizes for the highest scorer as well as the 1st position prize for the winning school.

68th Anniversary Celebrations FEST 2017 at Happy Home School

TRC was represented at the Happy Home’s FEST 2017 to celebrate the school’s 68th birthday. Happy Home invited 17 schools to participate in three days of contests in various fields like Photography, Art, Singing, Naat recitation, Sports, Computers for the festival. Rubina Naqvi represented TRC at the closing ceremony of the festival and gave away some of the prizes to the first and second position winners. The Chief Guest was Barrister Shahida Jamil. The prize-giving event was interspersed with songs and dances presented by the students of the host school.

TRC represented at RSU – Policy Dialogue

On February 13, 2017 the Reform Support Unit- Education and the Literacy Department, Government of Sind hosted a policy dialogue on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at the RSU office- Karachi. The objective of the policy dialogue was to share and discuss the state of provision and financing of ECCE in Sindh. TRC’s Noshin Khan and Tabinda Jabeen represented TRC at this event. The panel that shared the current state of ECCE in Sindh was moderated by Dr. Baela Jamil and the panelists were Faisal Ahmed Uqaili, Chief Programme Manager-RSU, SED, GoS, Dr Fauzia Khan, Head of Curriculum Wing, SED, GoS and Dr. Audrey Juma, Director, NDIE- Karachi. The discussion focused on reviewing the current ECE Curriculum in the light of sustainable development goals (SDGs) 4 and 5 with a critical lens on the health, hygiene and nutrition components.

TRC at Teachers’ Conference at Korangi Academy

TRC’s Rubina Naqvi attended the 4th Teachers’ Conference at Korangi Academy on 16 March 2017 as a panelist. The topic of the conference was ’Becoming Brilliant’ and the Chief Guest at the event was Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali.

The Principal’s welcome address and keynote speech by the CE of INFAQ Foundation was followed by presentations by faculty members of Korangi Academy. The presentations focused on the need for promoting skills for the 21 century in the schools of today.

Questions were put to the panellists, after which the chief guest addressed the gathering. The conference was largely attended by teachers and heads from different schools.

TRC Presents at the National Conference on ECCE

Noshin Khan and Tabinda Jabeen of TRC presented on “The Thinking Classroom” Project supported by Open Society Foundation at the National Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) on March 27-28, 2017 at the Allama Iqbal Open University in Islamabad. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in collaboration with several partners. Even though several initiatives in the public and private sector have enunciated the importance of ECCE in the recent years, this was the first effort to bring together the fragmented work and consolidate an integrated policy on expanding access, training, curriculum, and funding for the ECCE sector.

TRC attends GOS’ Consultative Session

The School Education Department, Sindh, held a consultative session at Research Support Unit (RSU) on June 8th, 2017. TRC’s Noshin Khan and Farzana Kausar were invited to the session to review the draft curriculum for the Early Childhood Care and Education 2017 for Sindh. The School Education Department Sindh, Research Support Unit and the consultants reviewed the 2007 curriculum and made amends based on current research on teaching and the learning processes. This document is expected to be a guiding force for early childhood educators for many years to come. An initial review by the TRC ECED team had identified some areas which needed to be revisited.

TRC at the Teachers’ Conference at Korangi Academy

TRC’s Rubina Naqvi was a panelist at the 4th Teachers’ Conference at Korangi Academy on 16 March 2017. The theme of the conference was ‘Becoming Brilliant’ and the chief guest was Shahnaz Wazir Ali.

The Principal welcomed the participants and the CE of INFAQ Foundation gave the keynote speech. Faculty members of Korangi Academy made presentations on the need to promote skills for the 21 century in schools of today.

The panelists answered questions after which the chief guest addressed the gathering. The conference was attended mainly by teachers and heads from different schools.

TRC invited to the 6th Islamic Finance Conference

TRC’s Rubina Naqvi accompanied the Director, Ambreena Ahmed to the 6th Islamic Conference organised by Professionals Network on 4 May 2017 at Marriot Hotel. Representatives from the Finance sector were present at the event and the chief guest was Governor Sindh, Muhammad Zubair.

Orientation Session to Introduce TKT Programme

On 20 May, 2017 an orientation session was organised at TRC to introduce the Teachers Knowledge Test (TKT) Programme in Karachi. It was conducted by Tina Hameed, the Centre Exam Manager who is authorised by Cambridge University to oversee the test. Around 30 participants attended the session and showed a keenness to enroll in the programme.

TRC’s at Annual Day Event at Shahwilayat School

On 25 May 2017, TRC’s Rubina Naqvi attended the 7th Annual Day function at Shahwilayat School. The students presented colourful acts on stage and the chief guest gave away prizes to successful position holders.

ECE Policy Launch

On May 6, 2017, in collaboration with the Education Department, Government of Sindh, Plan International arranged the launch ceremony of “Early Childhood Care & Education Policy” at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi. Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Member National Assembly and Chancellor SZABIST chaired the programme. Other distinguished guests were Aziz Ahmed Uqaili, Secretary Education, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Country Director Plan International. Officials from TRC, Reform Support Unit, RSU, Unicef, PLAN, PRP and other organisations also attended the event. TRC’s Abdul Malik, Seema Yasmeen and Farzana Kausar attended the ceremony.

TRC put up a stall at the event to promote Early Childhood Education & Development. Pamphlets, brochures and posters were disseminated among participants and on-desk information was provided on ECE courses and workshops arranged by TRC.

TRC at KYI Partner Learning and Sharing Session

On 6th May, 2017 TRC was invited to be part of the Partner Learning and Sharing Session that was organised by Karachi Youth Initiative (KYI) for its partner organisations to discuss their programme strategy and review the work that has been done across Karachi. It was an opportunity for all to come together as a community to learn from each other, generate ideas for a stronger and resilient society, and share experiences and best practices.

The full-day session was arranged at Hotel Marriott’s Marquee Hall. More than 50 KYI partners participated and there were at least 200 participants. The programme had 4 sub sessions; Collaborations, Universities, Elections, and Documenting Success and Impact. The sessions ended with a panel discussion from Hum Aawaz’s steering committee members followed by a Q&A on sustainability.

Mashood Rizvi commenced the programme with an overview of KYI’s success, DAI’s current endeavour with partner organisations, and future possibilities. Wajeeha conducted the orientation for the sessions. The organisations were divided into 3 groups to discuss the themes.