Background of Continuous Professional Development Program (CPD)
The continuous Professional Development (CPD) program has been designed to uplift the quality of the teaching and learning environment in schools in Balochistan. The lack of capacity of teachers is one of the primary reasons for the falling quality of education. They are either ill-equipped or are not able to apply modern teaching methodologies because of a lack of resources, institutional support, and teacher training. The learning environment and outcome suffer irrespective of the reason. In recent years, various minimal quality uplift inputs have been injected into the education system unterpart to the professional development of headteachers and teachers. Thus far, such initiatives have had a low impact on the quality of education and the development of schools. A primary reason for this lack of impact may lie in the intermittent and sporadic training that has no follow-up or opportunities for Continuous Professional Development (CPD). For the rectification of these drawbacks and faults, the government of Balochistan, with the financial support of UNICEF and the European Union, planned a comprehensive, continuous program for teacher training.
Well-educated teachers in Balochistan are teaching without the latest and emerging trends of teaching methodologies, which makes teaching not only stressful but also hard. Although teachers are trained regularly through sporadic sources but without surveys like Teacher Need Assessment competency baseline surveys and assessments, it is not easy to reflect trainees’ knowledge in classrooms of Balochistan. Recently, the Capacity Gap Assessment and other such surveys for the continuous professional development of teachers identified that due to a lack of formal in-service teacher training, the teachers are inclined to the same teaching methods on which they were taught, limiting their capacity for innovation and to think outside the box. After conducting TNA, revising existing modules and trainer manual, an amalgam of 67 Master Trainers (PITE, BOC, BAEC, Elementary colleges & Schools) went through 15 15-day rigorous Training of Trainers. Through the cascade model, these 67 Master Trainers have trained 3100 government teachers from 11 UNICEF-focused districts (Jafferabad, Naseerabad, Kachi, Lasbella, Quetta, Zhob, Sherani, Gawadar, Pishin, Killabdullah & and Killasaifullah). Keeping the dynamics and culture of Balochistan, we look forward to seeing a class of international standards in government schools of Balochistan through improving and utilizing present resources. We believe not only in the physical environment but also psychosocial and temporal environments should be taken care of where kids are prepared for competing in a global village and enhancing their vision through the proper implementation of lesson plans, pedagogies, constructivism, multiple intelligences, 21st-century skills, micro-teaching, growth, and development
Vision
Continuous Professional Development Program supports and empowers government school teachers to ensure every government school student has a highly effective teacher.
Mission
The mission of the CPD program is to continuously develop government school teachers professionally. CPD program achieves its mission by delivering the latest, well-facilitated and monitored pieces of training, supported by “Professional Days” and follow-up visits to continuously develop teachers professionally and by seeking feedback from the subject matter experts from around the world and internal stakeholders.
Director PITE Message
I am pleased to share an update on the progress and achievements of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Program, a UNICEF-funded initiative that PITE has the privilege to lead in collaboration with the government and educational stakeholders. This program is dedicated to enhancing the quality of teaching in government schools by providing professional development to primary, middle, and high school teachers following the TaRL (Teaching at the Right Level) approach.
Key Milestones:
- Teacher Training Sessions: Through CPD training sessions, teachers are learning practical applications of the TaRL approach, building confidence in assessing and addressing diverse student needs.
- Continuous Support: PITE’s dedicated team, with support from UNICEF, is ensuring consistent follow-up and support for teachers to sustain and deepen their application of TaRL methods.
- Positive Impact: Early observations indicate an encouraging impact on student engagement and learning progress, thanks to teachers’ commitment and adaptability.
Looking Forward:
Our upcoming focus will be on:
- Enhanced Training Modules: Expanding our training modules to provide ongoing support tailored to primary, middle, and high school needs.
- Teacher Feedback: Actively seeking teacher feedback to identify and address any challenges, ensuring that their voices guide program adjustments.
- Data Collection and Analysis: Using data to assess learning outcomes and refine our approach, enabling us to make evidence-based improvements.
I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to each of you for your unwavering dedication to this important work. Together, with the support of UNICEF and our collective expertise, we are creating lasting improvements in our education system. I look forward to our continued collaboration as we strive to elevate teaching quality across all levels.
Warm regards,
ShamsullahKiral
Director, Provincial Institute of Teachers Education (PITE)