ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Friday announced the establishment of a state-of-the-art Teacher Training Institute, in the capital for the training of the teachers.

“Teacher training is the most important element after the curriculum but unfortunately, it remains missing,” said the minister, who sought opinion from the education experts for the establishment of the Teacher Training Institute in the ICT, which will be a model for the provinces.

The minister has sought opinion from experts while chairing a roundtable, organised by the Ministry of Planning Commission. The roundtable was attended by several experts in the field of education who shared their ideas with the minister.

Educational techniques and style of teaching have not changed in the past 50 years. Besides transforming the curriculum, and teaching techniques, efforts should be made to revolutionise the madrassah and system of evaluation, remarked the minister.

The curriculum reforms are much needed because growth and innovation in education lead to progress, said the minister, adding that teachers have to act as learning managers and groom students socially so that they become responsible citizens. The previous government had launched a Single National Curriculum (SNC) for primary level.

However, the minister said that our national heroes were portrayed negatively in the curriculum. “Instead of highlighting their glories in the Subcontinent they were portrayed sick in the curriculum,” remarked the minister.

Ahsan Iqbal further added that four important things need to be addressed immediately which include curriculum reforms, teacher trainings, examination and madrassah reforms. The minister said that four projects were given to the Ministry of Education in 2013 when the PML-N came into power but unfortunately, there is no progress.

“Unfortunately, there is no change in our education system and old traditional means of education are still being exercised,” said the minister, while urging the stakeholder to come up with clearly defined goals for teacher training.

The minister also assured the participants that despite the financial crunch, the Planning Ministry will approve the project for this training institute.

Similarly, the minister stressed bringing seminary students into the mainstream and they should be taught science subjects in order to compete in society.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022