Syrian Education Ministry and AKU-IED Collaborate for Professional Development of Syrian Teachers

Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), under the aegis of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), and the Syrian Ministry of Education have been working closely together to optimise utilisation of human resources in the education sector in Syria.

AKU-IED faculty with members of the Syrian inspectors team at the Institute.

In January 2002, a needs assessment was conducted by AKU-IED with Syrian teachers, inspectors and teacher educators, followed by dialogues with senior Syrian education ministry officials to explore possibilities for collaboration. These culminated in the request by the Syrian government that   AKU-IED conduct an eight-week Certificate in Education: English Language programme for Syrian English language inspectors and teachers.

Jointly developed by AKU-IED and the Syrian Ministry, the programme commenced in December 2002, and carried the objective of helping the English language inspectors and teachers in re-conceptualising their role as pedagogical leaders, enabling them to become catalysts for improving the quality of education in Syria. Participants were exposed to various professional development approaches, including mentoring, to be able to provide adequate professional support to English language teachers on the job. Monitoring and evaluation strategies were also imparted to scrutinise the quality of education in schools. This helped broaden the participants' future impact as instructional leaders and agents of change. 

Besides their involvement in academic activities, the participants visited numerous educational institutions as well as holding meetings with senior Sindh Education Department officials.

Enjoyed by both the participants and AKU-IED educators, the programme proved useful in enhancing the understanding of the teachers' role as pedagogical leaders. "Micro-teaching     sessions were very helpful for self-reflection and improving our action plans. We learnt new academic vocabulary, which was interesting and challenging. We also benefited in exploring the important role of information technology in enhancing students' learning," said a participant.      

Sharing his reflections on the programme, Dr. Muhammad Memon, Head of Professional Programmes at AKU-IED, said, "Working with the senior members of the Syrian Ministry of Education for their professional growth was a new and very rewarding experience for many of us." It provided both parties with an avenue for continued mutual exchange and sharing of experiences, he added.

A follow-up to the programme with course participants as well as a stakeholders workshop have been planned in Syria in May 2003.  These will focus on examining participants successes and challenges faced while implementing the new ideas and skills learnt in their own context. The workshop will also focus on developing a strategic plan for future collaborative endeavours between AKU-IED and the Syrian Ministry of Education.