The emphasis of English in low-educated teachers’ training can have negative Implications too
PESHAWAR: The K-P government struck an agreement with the British Council to train its government school teachers in improving their English language and instructional skills. According to the agreement, 83,000 government school teachers will be trained in teaching mathematics, English, and science. Teacher training is a long overdue component in the education sector, especially at the primary level. Primary school teachers are hardly qualified at the bachelor level. Often, in rural areas, teachers are compelled to teach textbooks that they barely comprehend. The constant revision of textbooks has also put teachers in a difficult situation.
The emphasis of English in low-educated teachers’ training can have negative Implications too. Students will struggle to adapt because English is neither their mother tongue, nor originally spoken in any part of the country. The government should improve the academic credentials of government school teachers by training them in the language they best understand. At the primary level, students should be taught in their mother tongue. Once their base becomes strong, they can learn English as a second language at a later stage. Moreover, teachers should be taught in teaching methodologies and child psychology to achieve best results in education at the primary level.
M Sayyad Alam Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2016.
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