Merit-based incentives, accountability for teachers underlined

For the success of the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework there is a need for merit-based incentives, accountability, encouragement and faith in teachers, balanced responsibility and authority, and a reporting system based on regular meetings and more importantly a need to remove the communication gap between departments.
This was a consensus developed in a workshop that was organised by the Directorate of Staff Development (DSD) Lahore with the support of Unicef and GTZ, an NGO on building co-ordination networks for CPD, here on Saturday.
While addressing the workshop, Moneeza Hashmi, communication strategist for Directorate of Staff Development (DSD) and UNICEF's project, we are here to learn and be motivated to take on the system rather than complain about it.
She said that the participants agreed that in their individual capacity, they needed to ensure better co-ordination, never compromise on merit, build a solid training programme and there was a need to listen to stakeholders and sensitise them.
She also said that teachers are agents of social change and they required professional recognition and appreciation, more respect and status in society. They should be given socio-economic incentives rewards, and opportunities for leadership and freedom for innovation, she added. She said teachers also required a conducive learning environment.
The participants felt the mentoring system was vital in motivating and promoting quality education, however, it was highly dependent on the selection of the right candidates. She concluded. Earlier, the workshop was inaugurated by Nasrullah Virk, Additional Director, Directorate of Staff Development and Tariq Saeed, Senior Programme Officer, Education, Unicef. Renowned television host Noor-ul-Hassan conducted the workshop.
The objectives of the workshop were to encourage participants to discuss the CPD framework as established by DSD and examine the lapses within the co-ordination network of teacher education training institutes at the district level and the district administration. The objective was also to develop a sense of ownership of the programme amongst the district administration and utilise their feed back for future policy formulation.
Participants voiced their views and suggestions regarding the CPD framework, how they viewed the mentoring process could be improved and emphasised on the importance of teachers as agents of social change. The workshop was attended by Executive District Officers (EDOs) Education, DMOs & District Training Support Centre Heads (DTSC heads) across Punjab (namely Gujrat, Kasur, Mandi Bahauddin, Okara, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Jhelum, Jhang, Khanewal, Lahore, Multan, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali, Rahimyar Khan, Rajanpur.