The bill regarding Sindh Teacher Education Development Authority (STEDA) could not be tabled in Sindh Assembly despite the passage of more than nine months. STEDA was notified on February 22, 2011 with the approval of Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.
While Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq had announced before the notification that the bill would be tabled in the provincial assembly very soon. "After the passage of bill from provincial assembly, the STEDA would be formed and it would start working properly but the bill is still pending with the Law department and has not yet been tabled in the provincial assembly," sources said.
It is to be mentioned that the STEDA is meant to strategically manage the whole domain of teachers' education and development. It would be the over arching policy making, oversight and co-ordination agency for giving direction to the teacher development portfolio in Sindh province, sources informed.
The Reform Support Unit (RSU) of Education & Literacy department was given the authorised to act as Management Board of STEDA as a stopgap arrangement till the appointment/posting against the posts of Management Board and approval of STEDA bill by the Sindh Assembly. Sources said that the authority would accredit Continuous Professional Development (CPD) providers and certify programmes (initially of CPD) to agreed standards and criteria. It will ensure quality of all teacher education and development activities by means of a process for sampling the evolution of the delivery of ITE and CPD programmes and regularly reviewing the accreditation of providers.
The authority will undertake any other item related to the teacher education and development. It will serve as engine of change of the future research and development and provide advice/policy feedback to the department and will manage the transition from present disjointed in-service teacher training regime to continuous professional development paradigm of teacher development linking it with their career paths.
After passage of the Bill from Sindh assembly, all appointments of teachers would be made through the STEDA and they will be trained and awarded by the authority with Associate Elementary Certificate, they stated. The Intermediate pass teachers would be appointed in BPS-16 as associate elementary teachers who would not be posted on administrative jobs. Administrative jobs as Senior Manager, Manager and Junior Manger would be posted at District and Taulka levels.