Teachers play pivotal role in development of nations: NCHD chief

Islamabad :Teachers play a pivotal and fundamental role in the development of the nations. In order to fulfil their important roles with excellence, they need training, motivation as well as regular mental, emotional and spiritual transformation.

This was observed by Chairperson of the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) Razina Alam Khan during a two days training programme held in Muslim Colony, Bari Imam, Islamabad, for facilitators, teachers, supervisors and literacy coordinator of Adult Literacy Programme.

The NCHD chairperson said in an educational system importance of teachers training is evident by the resources spent. She said even with limited resources, we need a comprehensive and effective model or mechanism that would develop and enhance the teachers’ capacity and provide them avenues and opportunities for professional development.

The NCHD chairperson said the NCHD’s National Training Institute was playing an effective role for training of Master Trainers and for the preparation of accelerated courses of Multi-grade teaching.

'The NTI, an institution first of its kind in the country, has been created with the aim to meet the needs of literacy professionals working in the field of literacy and non-formal education, and build their capacities according to the new approaches evolving in the world with the help of other stake holders," she said.

Razina Alam said the NTI would also prepare Accelerated Learning Modules and condensed syllabus that will be the requirement of learners in the digital world, she maintained. While discussing about the teaching methods to adults, she said andragogical teaching technique was an emerging technology for adults learning it differs from pedagogy widely as adults are self directed, experienced and a learner-centred approach was required to attract them.

She shared her experience of adult literacy programmes and provided some effective guidance for the teachings.  "The NCHD has made literate to 3.8 million since its inception and providing education to 320,000 children in NCHD 5,949 feeder schools in the remote areas to the marginalized group, whereas 6000 adult literacy centres are in process of establishment where more than 150,000 poor and illiterate will acquire literacy as well as vocational skill to improve their livelihoods," she briefed.

While talking about innovative approaches she said the NCHD was working in the jails with the convicts and education is working as bridge from misery to hope for the prisoners and empowering them to become useful citizens.

"The NCHD has approached learners in seminaries with reforms and introduced primary education along with religious education in order to bring them in the mainstream of higher education," she said.

She said currently we are successfully working in 100 Seminaries of FATA, AJ&K, GB and ICT, she further added. In collaboration with JICA we had launched a model Non-formal School system where 20 schools are functional in Islamabad in order to provide education to the children of age 10-14 who could neither be admitted to the primary school and nor belongs to adult literacy, she informed.

She added that, world has entered into a digital world. In order to cope with new challenges we need to take some fast track initiatives that could provide literacy skills to 57 million illiterates of the country along with technical and vocational skills, she further added. NCHD is developing functional literacy syllabi for adults that aims to inculcate self learning habits in adults and make them practical in life for improving their livelihood, she said.

Teachers of the Adult Literacy Programme actively took part in the sessions. They shared the demands of the learners regarding continuity of this programmes and stressed for introducing English in the syllabus as well. They also thanked the NCHD for launching this programme and providing them an opportunity of learning at the door steps at this stage of life in their area.