A team of education experts from Michigan State University (MSU) will play a key role in a $75 million, U.S.-funded effort to improve education in Pakistan by improving teachers’ training and skills over the next five years. MSU will lead a $6.9 million piece of the project.
MSU’s College of Education brings a wealth of experience and distinction to the initiative. The programs that train elementary- and secondary-level teachers have each ranked No. 1 in the nation for 14 years in a row, and have just done so again, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Pakistan’s poor teacher training is reflected in the country’s literacy rates: Only 46 percent of the population is literate, while only 26 percent of females are literate, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Education.
Starting this month, MSU researchers will help to create a standard curriculum for a four-year education degree at Pakistan universities.
Currently, teacher education programs in Pakistan vary widely and are often subpar, says Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, associate professor in MSU’s College of Education and the project’s principal investigator.
“It’s unfortunate, but in Pakistan teaching is one of the least-respected professions,” Mabokela says.
MSU will collaborate with 15 Pakistan universities to train instructors who will teach at the high-school level. In addition, MSU will be a key player in a program that will bring about 60 doctoral-level candidates and 45 master’s-level candidates from Pakistan to train as teachers at MSU and other U.S. universities.
The initiative led by MSU is part of the broader initiative called Pre-Service Teacher Education Program for Pakistan, or Pre-STEP. It’s funded by the United States Agency for International Development.
Safety issues are being addressed by an in-country security coordinator who makes sure the team members know which areas in Pakistan are considered safe for foreigners, Mabokela said. MSU’s Julie Friend, a travel security analyst, also is providing guidance.
Source: MSU
Gretchen Cochran, Innovation & Jobs editor, may be reached here.
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