Aga Khan University (AKU) and the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) have signed an agreement to improve the quality of teaching practices in GB schools. The agreement was signed under the guidance of AKU’s President, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin.
The project, titled “Education Fellows: A Pilot Project on Hiring of Education Fellows and Improving Quality of Pedagogy in Gilgit-Baltistan,” will be implemented by Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) in collaboration with a consortium comprising Karakorum International University (KIU), Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and Knowledge Platform (KP). All through, the consortium will work in close collaboration with the Directorate of Education, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The project will focus on selecting and preparing 1,000 new teachers in government schools at the primary, middle, and secondary school levels. It will provide education in pedagogy, foundations of education, classroom management, learners and learning theories, game-based teaching, community engagement and educational technology.
“We are excited to partner with the School Education Department, Government of GB, on this important project,” said Professor Anjum Halai, Regional Vice-Provost at AKU. “It has the potential to impact the quality of education in GB significantly, and we are proud to be working with our partners to ensure its success.”
During his remarks, Mr Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani, Chief Secretary GB, assured all partners of the GB government’s commitment to enhancing the status of education in the region. “This project is a key part of our strategy to improve the quality of pedagogy in our schools, and we are confident that it will be a success,” he said.
“The programme shows the recognition of teachers at the centre of quality education. The ultimate aim is to help every student flourish through independence of thought, creative expression and quest for social justice,” noted Dr Farid Panjwani, the Dean of AKU-IED. Representatives from LUMS, KP and KIU also highlighted various aspects of the project and how it is likely to impact student outcomes.
About the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development, Pakistan
AKU-IED was established in 1993, with the mission to develop teachers’ capacity to teach with progressive pedagogies and student-centred approaches at early childhood, primary and secondary levels and to enhance the status of the teaching profession in Pakistan and beyond. Since its inception, the institute has managed to train more than 54,000 teachers, work with 11,000+ schools and reach out to 20 million students. Recently, the AKU-IED led efforts that resulted in the approval of a teaching license policy by the Sindh government. www.aku.edu/iedpk