Capacity-building: Gilgit to come at par with latest data collection methods

Project to provide details of teachers’ qualification at district, provincial levels.

GILGIT:

The ‘Teacher Mapping and Projection Model’ (TMPM) project was launched in Gilgit on Saturday. The project hopes to improve data collection methods in the region.

“The initiative aims to bring in modern data collection software tools to generate better and reliable information for institutions,” said USAID Teacher Education Project’s Provincial Director Jawad Ali at the inauguration. The project has been sponsored by USAID.

G-B’s Education Planning Director Muhammad Abideen remarked with the increasing number of schools, enrolment and teachers, old techniques can no longer be relied upon to maintain and update information.



He said an authentic data record is vital to develop an education planning document. “It is encouraging that the Education Management Information System (EMIS) department, G-B has recently upgraded its data collection and processing facilities,” Abideen said.

Explaining the project, he said the teachers mapping exercise provides details of teachers and their qualification at district and provincial levels. “This is something we have been lacking in the past.”

“With district wise information available, the district managers will be able to better plan future recruitment and infrastructure needs,” Abideen further said.

He hoped the initiative will also facilitate provincial authorities in planning and monitoring educational activities in the province. A large number of staff from districts of G-B was trained during the teacher mapping exercises, he informed.

“I also recommend that all district managers learn how to operate the data processing and projections software used by EMIS,” he said, adding this will keep them updated about the figures pertaining to their areas.

Abideen also appreciated the hard work of the EMIS staff and hoped that data collected during the mapping will be regularly updated.

The project has also extended support in provision of scholarships to trainee teachers, capacity building of the faculty of Government College Elementary Teachers, provision of equipment and furniture, and establishment of a directorate for staff development.

The TMPM project is part of the comprehensive US education assistance programme for Pakistan, which includes building or rehabilitating more than 850 schools across the country, establishing centres for advanced study at three Pakistani universities to focus on applied research in energy, agriculture and water, and expanding English skills of more than 5,000 students from low-income backgrounds.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2013.