CADD seeks US support for FDE restructuring

Islamabad

The Capital Administration and Development Division has sought the US support to build the capacity of Islamabad's government school teachers and restructuring of the Federal Directorate of Education.

This occurred during a meeting between Minister of State for CADD Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the Embassy of the United States Ms. Crestina here on Wednesday.

The two discussed Pak-US cooperation in the field of education and establishment of reading corners and library in the capital city.

The CADD minister said the division intended to institutionalise the teachers' training under the FDE for their professional development to ensure provision of better quality education to their students.

He said the US embassy should help and support the CADD for providing technical assistance in professional development to teachers of the city's government educational institutions and FDE restructuring.

The minister informed the delegation about the special interventions of the CADD to revamp the education system in the capital and positive results emerging from them.

"All the efforts of CADD centres around the ‘student’ in the classroom instead of the cosmetic measures which promises more but delivers less," he said.

The minister also sought the US embassy’s support in establishing a public library in Islamabad saying the land is available with the division for the purpose. "The library will provide wide range of printed and electronic reading material for the requirements of readers of all ages," he said.

Adviser to the CADD on education reforms Ali Raza, who was also present in the meeting, said a performance-based appraisal system for assessment of teachers was being prepared which includes a set of key performance indicators for the evaluation of the teachers’ work and incentivise their career.

"Under the FDE revamping and re-structuring plan, the CADD is focusing on the teachers’ training, professional development of public managers of education, and curriculum review. The new curriculum, which will be based upon modern researches on education and it will encourage critical thinking among students," he added.

He said under the Prime Minister’s Education Reform Programme, the CADD was upgrading 22 schools in the first phase by constructing additional facilities in these schools, while in the second phase, 200 more schools would be upgraded.

Ms. Crestina said the US embassy would provide every possible support in the field of education and the allied sector.

She said the embassy had helped establish 18 reading corners in Pakistan, 5 of which are in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.