ASSIGNMENT 1

Q.1 Critically analyze the aims and objectives of teacher education given in the National
Education Policy 2009. How far have the objectives been achieved todate?

This is a very good and effective measure taken by the government, aiming at establishing a
uniform education system all over the country. There has been a great difference between the
education system in big cities and small cities and villages; this also causes discrimination
among the people residing in different regions, some having good quality education and others
low-quality education. The uniformity in the education system is effective in providing
opportunities for higher studies to the people residing in small cities. This will also help in
achieving mutual cooperation among the four provinces.

Globalization

The policy is aiming to make the education system that is common in many developed countries
of the world. This is a positive step by the government in making a competitive policy for the
people of Pakistan. To make the comparison with different developing and developed countries
is effective in making the sustainable education policy for the people of Pakistan.

Social cohesion

The aim of the government is at making the public sector education institutions the good quality
education providers that will provide quality education to the students as equivalent to that
provided in private-sector education institutions. The public sector institutions are accused of
being ineffective and inefficient that hinders individuals in climbing up the ladder of progress.
To remove the ambiguity between the roles of federal and provincial governments, a consultancy
board has been established which decides the roles of both the governments not only at the
school level but at the higher education level as well.

Bridging public-private gap

The government in the education policy is focusing on bridging the gap between public sector
institutions and private sector institutions; the government has encouraged the provincial
government in facilitating private schools and encourages those people who can afford the
private schools to take admission in these schools. The government is also trying to create a
public-private partnership in the education sector including schools, colleges, and universities.
This is a good step taken by the government and this will help in the development of the
education sector of Pakistan. The public-private partnership will also help in attracting more
investment in the education sector that is required in abundance to promote this sector. The
effectiveness of this education policy will be proved in the coming days when it will enhance the
sustainable development of the education sector of Pakistan.

Overcoming structural divides

This has been a good step of the government giving importance to the people residing in less
developed regions of the countries especially villages and small cities. The government has
announced that equal opportunities would be granted to the people living in the less developed
regions or the people having low social status. The government, in its policy, has given due
importance to English language study especially in the schools located in villages and small
cities. This has been a very good effort of the government and will be useful in raising the living
standards of the people of Pakistan. Giving importance to the people living in small cities and
villages will reduce the social imbalance and increase the living standards.

Management and planning capacity

In order to develop a professional environment in the education sector, the government, in its
policy, has announced that all the education policies and plans would be made and implemented
solely by the education experts and managers. This planning and implementation process of
education policies would be transparent and the public representatives and civil servants will not
intervene in the process and no policy would be made for any political gain. The politics would
also not affect the education sector for making it more effective and efficient.

Establishing a National Standards and Certification Agency for Education Management and
Information System EMIS for monitoring and evaluation will make the process more transparent
and efficient.

Involvement of communities

For the first time in the education policy of Pakistan, the government is asking for input from the
communities i.e., teachers, students, and parents, this is verily a positive step towards the
sustainable improvement in the quality of education and development of this sector. The training
of teachers and principals for mobilizing the inputs of communities is effective in obtaining the
feedback which will help in improving the policy.

Islamic education

Similar to the previous policy, in this policy as well, the government has given due importance to
Islamic education in Pakistan. The policy regarding Islamic education is similar to that of
previous education policy.

Early childhood education

The government in its policy has given due importance to the quality of education for the
children at the early stage of their education. The previous policy has ignored this thing. This
step will be useful in improving the quality of education from the grassroots level; also, it will
help in improving the living standard and raising the living standard.
Q.2 Explain the responsibilities of teachers in Islamic perspective, how can teachers help in
improving social values?

Teaching is one of the most respectful and valuable professions in the world. In religion Islam,
this profession has more importance because our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
introduced himself as a teacher. Allah Almighty says in Holy Quran: “Like (a favor which you
have already received) in that We have sent among you a Messenger of your own,
rehearsing to you Our verses, and purifying you, and instructing you in scripture and
wisdom, and in new knowledge” (Quran, 2: 151). According to this verse of the Holy Quran,
Holy Prophet (SAW) was sent to teach about the Holy Book Quran, the wisdom, and unknown
things to the people of this world.

As we know that, the person who teaches is a teacher, a man worthy of obedience and respect.
Teachers are among the most influential people in society and have great importance in modern
society. Teachers bear the responsibility of molding students’ personalities and educating them.
Teachers are considered the most honored person in every religion. Due to the important role of
teachers, Islam has granted high status and rights to teachers. Islam has paid great attention to
teachers for being the first brick in the structure of social development and perfection and the
source of guidance and developing behaviors and mental growth of individuals and communities.
We can understand the highest rank of teachers from the Quote of Hazrat Ali (RA) in which He
(RA) stated: “If a person teaches me a single word, he has made me his servant for a
lifetime. “

The teacher is considered the profound father in Islam. All Prophets were teachers that were sent
before Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and obviously, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was the greatest
one among them for all mankind. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) taught us how to worship
Allah, how to implement the teachings of the Quran in our daily lives, and many other things.
Islam lays great emphasis on knowledge. At various times and instances, Allah Almighty
ordered the Muslims to acquire knowledge and learn. Islam lays so much stress on seeking
knowledge and also on giving respect to the ones who impart knowledge. That’s why teachers
have the highest status in Islam. In Holy Quran Almighty Allah says: “Allah elevates to high
positions those from amongst you who are faithful and those who have acquired
knowledge”. (Quran, 58:11)

Rights of Teachers

A teacher has a pivotal role in the upbringing of a person so that teacher has some rights. A few
of them are mentioned below:

o He leads his students. The teacher has to make his student smarter and have a good Akhlaq. So
his leadership must be accepted openheartedly.
o Get reward and appreciation. The teacher is the spiritual father of the student as he is the one
who provides spiritual nourishment and improves the behavior of learners. That is why we
should appreciate teachers for their great work.

o Teachers should have freedom of expression, obstacles and intervention should be cleared.

o Teachers should get respect from other people. We need to respect the teacher who is willing to
give us the knowledge.

o Teachers should get good treatment to make their job easier.

o Teachers should have freedom in giving judgment.

o Teachers should acquire and utilize learning facilities and infrastructure.

o Teachers should get physical and spiritual needs.

In short, we should know respect and become closer to the teacher who is willing to give us
education and knowledge. Always respect your teacher.

Q.3 Explain the existing teacher education system in Pakistan. Discuss its problems and
give suggestions to overcome them.

It is a mandate in the Constitution of Pakistan to provide free and compulsory education to all
children between the ages of 5-16 years and enhance adult literacy. In the 18th constitutional
amendment the concurrent list which comprised of 47 subjects was abolished and these subjects,
including education, were transferred to federating units as a move towards provincial autonomy.

The year 2015 is important in the context that it marks the deadline for the participants of Dakar
declaration (Education For All [EFA] commitment) including Pakistan. Education-related
statistics coupled with Pakistan’s progress regarding education targets set in Vision 2030 and
Pakistan’s lagging in achieving EFA targets and its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for
education call for an analysis of the education system of Pakistan and to look into the issues and
problems it is facing so that workable solutions could be recommended.

The system of education includes all institutions that are involved in delivering formal education
(public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, onsite or virtual instruction) and their faculties,
students, physical infrastructure, resources, and rules. In a broader definition, the system also
includes the institutions that are directly involved in financing, managing, operating, or
regulating such institutions (like government ministries and regulatory bodies, central testing
organizations, textbook boards, and accreditation boards). The rules and regulations that guide
the individual and institutional interactions within the setup are also part of the education system.

Education system of Pakistan:

The education system of Pakistan is comprised of 260,903 institutions and is facilitating
41,018,384 students with the help of 1,535,461 teachers. The system includes 180,846 public
institutions and 80,057 private institutions. Hence 31% of educational institutes are run by the
private sector while 69% are public institutes.

Analysis of education system in Pakistan

Pakistan has expressed its commitment to promote education and literacy in the country by
education policies at the domestic level and getting involved in international commitments on
education. In this regard, national education policies are the visions that suggest strategies to
increase literacy rate, capacity building, and enhance facilities in the schools and educational
institutes. MDGs and EFA programmers are global commitments of Pakistan for the promotion
of literacy.

A review of the education system of Pakistan suggests that there has been little change in
Pakistan’s schools since 2010 when the 18th Amendment enshrined education as a fundamental
human right in the constitution. Problems of access, quality, infrastructure, and inequality of
opportunity, remain endemic Vision 2030 of the Planning Commission of Pakistan looks for an
academic environment that promotes the thinking mind. The goal under Vision 2030 is one
curriculum and one national examination system under state responsibility. The strategies
charted out to achieve the goal included:

 Increasing public expenditure on education and skills generation from 2.7% of GDP to
5% by 2010 and 7% by 2015.

 Re-introduce the technical and vocational stream in the last two years of secondary
schools.

 Gradually increase vocational and technical education numbers to 25-30% of all

secondary enrolment by 2015 and 50 per cent by 2030.

 Enhance the scale and quality of education in general and the scale and quality of
scientific/technical education in Pakistan in particular.

Problems: The issues lead to the comprehension of the problems that are faced in the
development of the education system and promotion of literacy. The study outlines seven major
problems such as:
1) Lack of Proper Planning: Pakistan is a signatory to MDGs and EFA goals. However, it
seems that it will not be able to achieve these international commitments because of financial
management issues and constraints to achieve the MDGs and EFA goals.
2) Social constraints: It is important to realize that the problems that hinder the provision of
education are not just due to issues of management by the government but some of them are
deeply rooted in the social and cultural orientation of the people. Overcoming the latter is
difficult and would require a change in the attitude of the people, until then universal primary
education is difficult to achieve.
3) Gender gap: Major factors that hinder enrolment rates of girls include poverty, cultural
constraints, illiteracy of parents, and parental concerns about the safety and mobility of their
daughters. Society’s emphasis on girl’s modesty, protection, and early marriages may limit the
family’s willingness to send them to school. Enrolment of rural girls is 45% lower than that of
urban girls; while for boys, the difference is 10% only, showing that the gender gap is an
important factor.

Q.4 Discuss the nature and scope of In-service Teacher Education. Highlight its
significance.

Teachers’ professional education is viewed as one of the most important factors in improving
students’ learning. Keeping this in view, many developed and less developed countries pay
significant attention to improve the practices of teacher education. To develop capable teachers,
they make conscious efforts to establish and maintain quality teacher education institutions. The
history of teacher education in Pakistan starts with the establishment of the country. However,
this area has been facing various challenges such as lack of consistent policy, inconsistency in
curriculum, low resources, lack of quality teachers, low quality of teaching process, lack of
standard, etc. Today, a range of public and private institutions is engaged in preparing
schoolteachers. In Pakistan, like many other countries, public institutions are the main source for
developing teachers through pre-service and in-service programmers. However, many studies
have raised the question of the quality of delivery mechanism of the institutions while
forwarding recommendations for improvement.

Historically, different reforms have been brought to improve the condition of teacher education
in the country. Currently, teacher education in Pakistan is passing through a transition as the
Government of Pakistan with the support of USAID through their Pre-Service Teachers
Education Program (STEP) project has initiated innovation. This reform is attempted to improve
the quality of teacher education by including different innovations. In this regard, a new
curriculum has been developed for pre-service programmers such as a two-year Associate
Degree in Education (ADE) and a four-year B.Ed (Hons). An effort has been made to design the
curriculum keeping in view the modern educational principle along with the contextual
relevancy. These programmers are gradually replacing the previous pre-service and in-service
programmers such as Primary Teacher Certificate (PTC), Certificate in Teaching (CT) and the
one-year Ed programmed. In addition, an effort is being made for the accreditation and
standardization of teacher training institutions through this initiative.

The ADE and B.Ed programs have been initiated in some colleges and will be gradually
implemented in remaining colleges throughout the country in the coming years. In addition, to
attract the best mind towards the teaching profession a stipend is also offered to student teachers
for providing them financial support. The significance of such educational innovation cannot be
overlooked for the improvement of teacher education in the country. However, some areas need
serious considerations for the effectiveness and sustainability of the new reform initiatives.
Firstly, the newly developed curriculum is based on modern educational principles. Teachers are
provided a course outline with the expectation that they will explore the teaching-learning
material for classroom instructions. However, it was observed that some of the teachers are
struggling with identifying teaching resources due to the unavailability of reference books and
lack of internet facilities in their colleges/institutions. This situation may affect the teaching-
learning process of the ADE courses. Hence, there is a need to provide reference books and
Internet facilities to the faculty members to make the teaching-learning process smooth.

Second, the Internet is considered one of the important sources for identifying teaching-learning
material. However, it was observed that some of the faculty members are not literate in
computers and the Internet. Therefore, they are facing challenges in accessing the teaching
faculty members of colleges who need to be helped in acquiring workable computer and Internet
skills. Third, the new curriculum demands new teaching strategies such as collaborative, inquiry,
and activity-based teaching approaches. However, a majority of the faculty in the teacher
institutions are not oriented with the teaching strategies demanded by the ADE and B.Ed
programs. Therefore, the professional development of the faculty at teacher training institutions
should be given priority along with the curriculum development.

Furthermore, there is a sense of uncertainty about the sustainability of the new initiatives after
the completion of the Pre-STEP project. Many educational initiatives in the past died away with
the closure of the projects. Therefore, there is a dire need to develop a clear road map for the
continuity and sustainability of reforms.

Q.5 Elaborate the structure of Teacher Education in Pakistan. Critically analyze the
quality of teacher education across the country.

The teaching profession, mostly, does not attract the best talent in Pakistan. Those considered
bright either join the professions such as medicine and engineering and try to migrate to the West
or are attracted by higher-level civil service positions, which open avenues for enormous graft
and corruption. A few exceptions would be some highly respected university faculty and those
scientists working at the highest levels of the country's research establishment, especially those
involved in missile and nuclear technology.

Among the reasons for the reluctance to join the teaching profession at the primary and
secondary levels are relatively low salaries, unattractive working conditions, and the high
teacher-student ratio, which is around 1:40 at the primary and 1:36 at the secondary level. In the
early 1990s, 87 elementary teacher-training institutions were offering a one-year program
leading to the Primary Teaching Certificate (PTC) for teachers in grades one to five or the
Certificate of Teaching (CT) for teachers in grades six to eight. While the PTC course needs ten
years of education for admission in it, the CT course requires 12 years and an FA/FSC
certificate. The Allama Iqbal Open University also offers distance education courses for its PTC
and CT programs. There are three types of programs for the training of teachers in Pakistan. The
first is the one-year primary school teacher-training program in basic subjects and methods of
teaching, including child psychology. The secondary school teachers are required to join one of
the numerous teachers' training colleges or a university department of education either for a one-
year program leading to the Bachelor of Education diploma or for a three-year program leading
to a Bachelor of Education degree. Admission to either program requires a bachelor's or master's
degree in any discipline from any university. The higher-level work leading to degrees in
education at the master's or the doctorate level is done in the departments of education in the
universities, which produce specialists and academic administrators. There are also several in-
service training programs for "untrained" teachers or for upgrading the curriculum. Teachers sent
to such programs are nominated by the school principals and approved by the district officer and
generally receive full salary during the in-service training.

Science and technical teaching has been given special emphasis by the federal government.
Thus, Islamabad's Institute for the Promotion of Science Education and Training (IPSET), and
National Technical Teachers Training College (NTTTC) have been doing excellent work in
upgrading the knowledge base of secondary school and junior college science teachers as well as
instructors in technical colleges and polytechnics. For educational administrators there is the
Academy of Educational Planning and Management (AEPAM) at Islamabad, providing courses
and in-service training for school and college principals, district education officers, and regional
directors.

There are few facilities in Pakistan for special education. The first to start courses leading to a
master's degree in special education were the University of Karachi, the National Institute for the
Handicapped at the University of Islamabad (NIHUS), and the Allama Iqbal Open University.
With the establishment of the office of the Director-General of Special Education within the
Ministry of Health, Social Welfare, and Special Education in 1985, special education attracted a
national focus. In 1989, NIHUS received a boost with the opening of 45 centers for special
education with a combined enrollment of 3,500. Additionally, a National Training Center for the
Disabled and a national Mobility and Independence Training Center for producing teachers in
special education were established in Islamabad. Most of these projects were made possible with
funds, overseas training, and technical guidance from WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, and UNDP.
Experts from Europe and the United States instituted for training fellowships abroad as well as
for visits programs.
 ASSIGNMENT #2

Q.1 Explain how teaching practice is different from internship, give suggestions to get maximum
benefit from this practice?

During a practicum, students’ primary task is observation and documentation. While they will
participate in the work in a limited way under the supervision of practitioners and professors,
they should treat the practicum as an observational learning experience first. Concurrent with the
practicum experience, students enroll in a practicum course that outlines goals and expectations
and confers academic credit.

A practicum’s specific demands vary from field to field but generally involve limited assistance
in a closed environment for less than ten hours per week. Prospective counselors might observe a
session and take notes, while future medical professionals could monitor a patient on behalf of
the supervising doctor or nurse. The course itself augments this participation with assignments
and follow-up discussions. Students connect their experiences during the program to the theories
and concepts they have learned during the program.

The Internship Experience

Internships mimic a conventional job much more closely than practicums. Students still work
under the supervision of professionals, but those professionals oversee them more like bosses or
administrators than like mentors. Program instructors might visit the internship site, but these
visits will be less frequent and serve as only an occasional assessment of progress and
performance. An internship typically takes place later in a student’s program than a practicum,
and accordingly, responsibilities undertaken tend to be more significant during the internship.
Student teaching interns might plan and implement whole lessons, rather than observing a
teacher and participating in a group work. A medical intern would, in the same way, evaluate
multiple patients, record results, and consult with hospital staff. While a practicum helps students
develop understanding, an internship helps them understand how to implement that
understanding in the real world.

Internships can require as much work as a full-time position within the field, though some may
demand less. Students receive academic credit for the internship. Depending on the internship,
students may also receive a stipend or other payment, but some internships are unpaid. Some
programs require students to submit a report on their internship after its completion. It can
include information on the business or organization, a summary of intern duties, and an
evaluation of the internship experience. In fields like mass communication, an internship report
can also include a portfolio of work from the internship.

The specific requirements of internships and practicums can vary based on the field of study.
Some credentialing organizations set out specific requirements for internships and practicums,
like these standards from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational
Programs (CACREP). Other internships and practicums have less stringent specifications, so
students who need to complete either of these field-learning requirements should contact their
department and any internship coordination offices at their school.
Q.2 Highlight the uses and the possibilities of computer assisted instruction for teachers training
programs.

"Computer-assisted instruction" (CAI) refers to instruction or remediation presented on a

computer. Many educational computer programs are available online and from computer stores
and textbook companies. They enhance teacher instruction in several ways.

Computer programs are interactive and can illustrate a concept through attractive animation,
sound, and demonstration. They allow students to progress at their own pace and work
individually or problem solve in a group. Computers provide immediate feedback, letting
students know whether their answer is correct. If the answer is not correct, the program shows
students how to correctly answer the question. Computers offer a different type of activity and a
change of pace from teacher-led or group instruction.

Computer-assisted instruction improves instruction for students with disabilities because students
receive immediate feedback and do not continue to practice the wrong skills. Computers capture
the students' attention because the programs are interactive and engage the students' spirit of
competitiveness to increase their scores. In addition, computer-assisted instruction moves at the
students' pace and usually does not move ahead until they have mastered the skill. Programs
provide differentiated lessons to challenge students who are at risk, average, or gifted.

Teachers should review the computer program or the online activity or game to understand the
context of the lessons and determine which ones fit the needs of their students and how they may
enhance instruction.
 Can this program supplement the lesson, give basic skills practice, or be used as an
educational reward for students?
 Is the material presented so that students will remain interested yet not lose valuable
instruction time trying to figure out how to operate the program? Does the program waste
time with too much animation?
 Is the program at the correct level for the class or the individual student?
Teachers should also review all Web sites and links immediately before directing students to
them. Web addresses and links frequently change and become inactive. Students might become
frustrated when links are no longer available.

Reading programs are beneficial to reading instruction because they allow students to learn at
their own pace; teach phonics with sound, student interaction, and immediate feedback; and
allow students to read animated books. Some programs read stories that students write on the
computer. Students may be scheduled for instructional or remedial time with the computer. The
computer program may also be a station in a classroom learning center or used as a reward for
positive behavior or work completion.

Q.3 Discuss the need of Microteaching. How can it be considered a reflective practice?
Microteaching, a teacher training technique currently practiced worldwide, provides teachers an
opportunity to perk up their teaching skills by improving the various simple tasks called teaching
skills. With the proven success among the novice and seniors, microteaching helps to promote
real-time teaching experiences. The core skills of microteaching such as presentation and
reinforcement skills help novice teachers to learn the art of teaching at ease and to the maximum
extent. The impact of this technique has been widely seen in various forms of education such as
health sciences, life sciences, and other areas. The emerging changes in medical curricula by the
Medical Council of India and the role of medical teachers envisage the need for this special
training of teachers and monitoring of their skills for their continued efficient performance at any
age. The alleged limitations of microteaching can be minimized by implementing this at the
departmental level in several sequences. The author made a literature search of research and
review articles in various educational databases, journals, and books. From the reference list of
published articles, books were also reviewed. This paper presents an outline of the various
phases of microteaching, core teaching skills, implementation aspects, and the impact of
microteaching on medical education.

Microteaching is a teacher training technique for learning teaching skills. It employs real
teaching situations for developing skills and helps to get deeper knowledge regarding the art of
teaching. This Stanford technique involved the steps of “plan, teach, observe, re-plan, re-teach
and re-observe” and has evolved as the core component in 91% of on-campus clinical teaching
development programs, with the significant reduction in the teaching complexities concerning
the number of students in a class, scope of content, and time frame, etc. Most of the pre-service
teacher education programs widely use microteaching, and it is a proven method to attain gross
improvement in the instructional experience. Effective student teaching should be the prime
quality of a teacher. As an innovative method of equipping teachers to be effective, skills and
practices of microteaching have been implemented.

Q.4 Compare the teacher education curriculum of United Kingdom and Pakistan.
The overall development status of every country depends upon the standard of education
prevalent across that country. It is an era of knowledge-based economies, and countries failing in
education find it hard to catch up with the developed world. In other words, a country’s
economic and cultural future, as well as its scientific and technological growth, owing to the
academic standards being maintained by the teachers in its educational institutions. Thus,
teachers’ contributions are well acknowledged as builders of the nation and molders of
personalities. The key player of every educational system is the teacher, who is considered the
backbone of the entire system all over the world, and a pivot around which the whole education
system revolves. A teacher is the major implementer of all educational reforms at the grass-root
level. Teaching, without a doubt, is considered one of the very noble professions. It offers
constant intellectual challenges, acknowledgment, respect in the society, and above all the
opportunity to mold the personalities of a majority of youth. This centrality qualifies teachers to
be the crucial position holders in creating an impact on all aspects of students’ personalities.
They are the teachers who bring about positive behavioral changes in students by grooming and
developing their personalities. That is why they must be adequately equipped with skills and
abilities that would enable them to play an effective role in human development both from
national and global perspectives.
The Indian Education Commission 1964-66, as observed by Sheikh M.A (1998) had ranked the
quality and competence of the teachers as the most important factor determining the quality of
education significantly contributing to the national development. Nothing is more important than
securing a sufficient supply of high-quality recruits to the teaching profession, providing them
with the best possible professional preparation, and creating satisfactory conditions of work in
which they can be fully effective.” However, this central position, demands great care and
attention in the education and training of teachers, who develop and enable students to meet
effectively the challenges of the present and future. Ascertaining the effectiveness of these pieces
of training asks for the analysis of teacher education programs in the social context of every
country socio-economic, cultural, and historic factors substantially influence its nature and value.
Concept of Teacher Education
Teacher education is a discipline and sub-sector of education with its distinct pre-service and in-
service forms. It equips prospective and in-service teachers with information, knowledge, and
pedagogical skills to help reform their attitudes and behavior to the profession of education. The
key objective is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) to
students and to build their character and personalities. In other words, teacher education refers to
the policies and procedures designed to equip teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors,
and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the school and classroom. According
to Sheikh M.A (1998), teacher education encompasses acquiring all that knowledge, skills, and
abilities which are relevant to the life of a “teacher as a teacher” It reshapes the attitudes,
remodels the habits, and develops the personalities of teachers.
Need for Teacher Education
Teachers’ general education and professional training both require utmost care and attention, as
whatever is acquired by them are transferred to their students with high multiple effects. The
present has witnessed and is still experiencing a rapidly but positively changing scenario of
processes and procedures of teacher training. New innovative methods are continuously being
added to the already practiced traditional pedagogical techniques. Acquainting these
developments to the point of mastery is needed for the promotion and maintenance of good
teaching-learning standards. Good quality teacher education about these key elements paves the
way for the development of the education system in the end.
Teachers are the layers of the foundations of future citizens, hence need to be educated with
futuristic perspective, so that they can develop the personalities of their students, not only as per
present requirements but also for the years to come, accommodating the new trends from the
global outlook. This is very important, as a teacher is one of the key agents of change in all
communities and a service provider as per the needs of the future. Changes are taking place not
only at the national but also at the international level. With every passing day, distances are
shrinking and communities are coming closer to each other affecting each other’s practices of
life.
Q.5 Discuss the role of collaboration among the teacher training institutions of Pakistan
with respect to quality education.
Publications regarding the international educational context have begun to highlight partnerships
as an increasingly adopted practice in the field of education. As formal policies in the process of
training teaching professionals, partnerships have gained significant momentum since the second
half of the 1980s and thus represent a powerful ally for the effectiveness of public policies since
that time. Partnerships align with the need to rethink the foundations that previously sustained
the process of teacher training and have been understood as part of increasing teaching
professionalization and recovering the basic quality of education in the second half of the
twentieth century.

Partnership in education, specifically in teacher training, is a very recent subject of research in

the international scenario and is in a great phase of construction between researchers at
universities and teachers at schools. Although in Brazil, the importance of partnerships in
collective struggles for a better social and political appreciation of the teaching profession has
been advised (Lüdke, 1994; Gatti, 1996), there have been few specific studies on this issue. As
discussed in the succeeding paragraphs, the case of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, amid
the Amazon Forest, has aroused the interest of researchers, education professionals in general,
and education administrators.

The article is organizing with the introduction, context and concept of partnership, types of
partnership in teacher training, concrete partnership lessons in Québec, a concrete experience of
partnership in teacher training in Brazil, and issues for discussion

All of these studies indicate that partnerships are required in teacher education, as a public
policy, given the major economic and political transformations that occurred at the turn of the
millennium and their demands for the educational field. Criticisms and alternatives for
epistemological changes in the professional socialization of teachers are points that are not
always agreed upon in the debate. Among public administrators and teachers and in the academic
domain, there is a consensus that partnerships could be used as an emerging practice of
collaboration, cooperation, and sharing of responsibilities and commitments. However, these
different social and institutional participants do not always understand this practice in the same
way.

Starting in the second half of the 1990s, partnership in teacher education has become an
innovative alternative among the public administrators in Brazil. Resolutions issued by the
Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) can be cited as examples (MEC, 2002a, 2002b). In
universities, bachelor courses were emphasized by the central administration of the country,
which shows an effort to analyze the problem and to implement officially government-regulated
reforms in the last decade.