Federal Minister Attends PDC Graduation Ceremony

The Federal Minister for Education, Ms. Zobaida Jalal, attended the graduation ceremony of the Whole School     Improvement Programme (WSIP) on May 3, 2001, at the Professional  Development Centre, Northern Areas (PDC,N) in Gilgit.

Education Minister Zobaida Jalal with a group of Visiting Teachers and graduates at the Professional Development Centre, Northern Areas, Gilgit.

PDC,N, a project of the Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan (AKES,P), is currently being managed by AKU's Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). It commenced operations in early 1999 and its objective is to provide teachers with professional development in this mountainous region. Accompanying the Minister was the Chief Secretary for Health, Education and Local Bodies, Northern Areas, Mr. Mehr Dad, and other government officials. Ninety-six teachers from government, private and AKES,P schools, participated in WSIP. The programme included generic and specific themes related to the teaching of science, mathematics, social studies and language within the domain of primary education. Eighty-four participants completed the programme satisfactorily and were awarded AKU-IED Visiting Teacher (VT) certificates. It was a historic moment for PDC,N, making it the first time since its inception that VTs were awarded certificates.

The Minister commended the role of Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which is a group of institutions working to improve living conditions and opportunities in specific regions of the developing world. Ms. Jalal announced that the Federal Government has approved the establishment of an examination board by AKU, and that it is working closely with the University for the improvement of teacher education and the development of a new, improved curriculum.