Workshop on the challenges of 21st century teaching held at Arts Council

A multitude of education expert speak at the occasion

KARACHI: The challenges facing the modern day classroom were the subject of a workshop held at the Arts Council on Monday.

 

Government and private school students participated in the workshop organised by Educationist of Pakistan, a platform that aims to connect education professionals.

A large number of women were seen participating in the workshop including Educationist of Pakistan founder Shumaila Waqas. She said the workshop was being held to resolve issues in the education field.



Shumaila said students are unable to afford the training they need to face modern day challenges.

"Since new technologies have emerged, the challenges have multiplied for us. Students are being burdened and pressurised as the responsibilities increase, which is why they should accept and act upon their responsibilities to their fullest extent," said Waqas.

Education expert Wajih Zameer, gave a lecture on "Change in Modern World and Education system" in which he said, "Our classrooms still represent the 90s, therefore, if the teachers are teaching their students in 21st century, for them it is important to prepare them accordingly."

Stressing the importance of technology, Zameer said, "the value of digital media will increase and students will have to accept and learn how important it is in today's world... If you are a teacher of the 21st Century, then you must change your mindset to learn new things and teach the students so they are aware of all the challenges they may face."

He further added that, as an educationalist, it is obligatory to at least change oneself as a person, if one cannot change the world, and try to find new dimensions in one's field.

Another educationist Aseela Jaliawala discussed the use of technology in education and said it is necessary to change one's attitude if one hopes to adopt change.

She added that, for quality teaching, it is important to stay busy, safe and to keep an eye on the changing environment.

"In this challenging world, to deal with the competition in the education field, it is essential to have knowledge and technical capabilities. The syllabus may have changed, but in the field of education, we can not compete on an international level," said Jaliawala.



Arshiyan Urooj discussed restructuring curricula with the new challenges of the 21st Century. She said that in Pakistan students are given tedious homework whereas, in foreign countries, the homework policy has ended.

Urooj stressed the importance of saving children from the continuous struggle to achieve high grades because it diminishes their ability to learn.

"It is like a race has begun, the students read texts, but they barely learn anything," she said reiterating Zameer's argument.

To grow in the field of education, she said, training must be held on a government level.

"In 2018, we are still teaching the same syllabus as was being studied in the 1980s. Teachers need to upgrade themselves on their level."

Other topics discussed in the workshop included; "Life Long learning opportunities" by education expert Danish Siani, "Classroom Management" by Tehmina Owais, and "Classroom Culture and Strategy" by Sidra Ikram Qureshi on the basis of her observation and experience.