First round: 10 universities get grants

Universities awarded grants under the USAID-sponsored Pre-STEP programme’s first round.

LAHORE: Ten research proposals submitted by universities across the country were awarded grants under the USAID-sponsored Pre-STEP programme’s first round.

A total of 19 universities had submitted proposals based on the theme, ‘Prospective teachers’ professional knowledge and their performance during teaching practices’.

The 10 universities whose proposals won grants include the University of Education, Lahore; Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan; Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University, Quetta; Karakoram International University, Gilgit; University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad; University of Balochistan, Quetta; University of Karachi, Karachi; Hazara University, Mansehra; Provincial Institute of Teaching Education (PITE), Sindh; and Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Centre Balochistan, Quetta.

Ms Beth Paige, USAID officer in charge in Lahore; Dr Mahmood Butt; Dr Muhammad Latif, the HEC  research and development director general; Mr Iftikhar Ahmad Khan, Ministry of Education’s joint education adviser; and Syed Naeem Ahmad, Pre-STEP’s senior research coordinator were among those present on the occasion.

Dr Mahmood H Butt, the chief of party said, “The proposals submitted were evaluated by experts from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and scholars from different universities.

Grants were awarded to those which showed a clear understanding of how the teaching system can be made better.

Our goal is to provide a better education system based on three T’s: teachers, textbooks and tests.”

Teachers who attended the ceremony were also excited at getting the grants. Dr Shahida Sajjad from the Karachi University said, “Teachers’ training was always ignored and Pre-STEP gives tools that addresses that problem. Teachers are motivated to develop a better understanding of the process.”

Sadia Mobeen, a trainer, said “Such awards change the way that teaching has been practiced.

It has now become more of an activity-based process rather than mere dictation.”

Pre-STEP’s senior research coordinator, Dr Syed Naeem, said that the next phase will involve working with the government to come up with better education policies. “We hope to introduce two degree programmes, Associate Degree (AD) and Bachelors in Education (Bed) for teachers. We also plan to have ‘licenced’ teachers that would then be inducted into grade-17 by the end of the five-year programme.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2010.