Teachers asked to adopt innovations
KURAGH, Nov 3: The Aga Khan Higher Secondary School Kuragh held a one-day seminar on education with the theme “School as a professional development centre: A step towards teachers’ professional development” on Saturday.
The programme started with recitation from the Holy Quran by Musarrat Shaheen of grade 12th followed by heart touching Naat by Shahira and colleagues of class 11th. Samina Samsam formally welcomed the guests while Alia Afzal with her group of Grade IX sang national songs.
“Teaching needs to be innovative, interesting, attractive and objectives oriented and must aimed at creating good leadership, effective communicator and tolerant global citizens,” said Sultana Burhanuddin, the Principal AKHSS, while sharing the aims and objectives of the programme. “This seminar will enable teachers to understand different techniques, extend their pedagogical skills and ensure integration of action research in classroom activities.”
The seminar consisted of two sessions. In the first part, Mr. Muhammad Khan, interim head PDCC, spoke on action research and its significance in making teaching learning process prolific. He said owing to geographical compulsion Chitral had limited opportunities for professional development and even existing practices were not feasible and workable in our context.
He stressed the youth should have passion to explore and become producer of knowledge instead of mere consumers. “Teachers need to update themselves to cope with the multifaceted challenges and action research will make them acceptable for the students,” Mr. Khan remarked.
The second presenter of the first session was Mr. Mir Zaman Shah, Manager AKESP Chitral. He shared the journey of AKESP with special reference to professional developments of the teachers. He asserted that AKESP has left no stone unturned to groom professionalism among teachers within the system particularly and out of system generally. “Despite all these efforts yet visible space for improvement is still there and we are devising a mechanism of accountability to avoid teacher training program as taken for granted.” Mr. Shah said in vigorous mood. “We will ensure maximum delivery from teacher after going through professional development programs.” The General Manager added as concluding remark.
Both the presentations were followed by questions by audience. Mr. Sahibur Rehaman, the Headmaster GHS Booni, Mr. Sultan Ali, Mr. Burhanuddin, Head Teacher GHS Charun, and Mazhar Ali Shah, AAC Chitral, also spoke.
In the second session, Mr. Rehmat Hasil, Lecturer Physics GDC Chitral, and Mr. Shujauddin, Lecturer Chemistry AKHSS, shared their M.Ed research work. They highlighted critical thinking and inquiry based teaching as sources to steer the drowning educational system of ours from choppy water.
The seminar was attended by teachers and head teachers from private and public sector, educationists, heads of NGOs, lecturers, students and stakeholders in education. Mr. Sultan Ali, who presently leading a Booni-based NGO, summarized the programme saying that quality teachers are essential for holistic development and quality teaching is impossible without professional development. He appreciates the effort for AKHSS, saying, “Finance and time constraints compel us not to have stress on our teachers’ professional developments and this institution has rightly found the alternate way which is School Based Development Programme.”
At the end of the programme, students getting positions in essay writing and speech competitions were awarded certificates.]]>