An expert from Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation, Canada, conducts a teachers’ training programme in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 21: Around 40 elementary school teachers across the state are undergoing a five-day professional development programme. Experts from Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, Canada, is conducting the programme the in the capital. The programme, which began today, aims to create a pool of resource persons who will impart similar training to other teachers at the state, district and sub-district levels.

In order to improve their competency and enable them to teach effectively in classrooms, teachers are being trained in institutional strategies such as cooperative learning and concept attainment. “We have adopted child-centric strategies supported by latest research in education. It has been proven that these strategies will improve learning levels of students by moving away from mundane lecturing to more interactive teaching sessions in classrooms. “This will encourage a child to think on his own,” said Ian Krips, one of the experts. Commissioner-cum-secretary of state school and mass education, Aparajita Sarangi, inaugurated this programme, which is organised by the All-India Primary Teachers’ Federation (AIPTF) in collaboration with the All-Utkal Primary Teachers’ Federation (AUPTF) and Education International.

She spoke about the Right to Education Act and hoped the problems surrounding the education system in the state would be tackled within a period of four months. Highlighting the importance of competent teachers in achieving quality education, she said: “This is the responsibility of the government that they (AIPTF and AUPTF) have taken up. The government is taking every possible measure to ensure universal enrolment, retention and quality education.” Here, around Rs 1.5 lakh is being spent for teachers’ training. The cost will be borne by AIPTF and AUPTF on a 70:30 basis.

Asked if there is an overlapping of training with too many workshops conducted for teachers in the recent months, director of the Professional Training Programme, Ajit Singh said: “Training is being imparted through innovative and up-to-date instruction strategies which have not been covered in the training programmes organised by the state government or under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.”

A similar programme had earlier been conducted in the state six years ago, informed Pramod Kumar Jhankar, president, AUPTF.

SHILPI SAMPAD

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 21: Around 40 elementary school teachers across the state are undergoing a five-day professional development programme being conducted by experts from the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation, Canada, here in the capital city. The programme, which began today, aims at creating a pool of resource persons who will impart similar training to other teachers at the state, district and sub-district levels.

In order to improve their competency and enable them to teach effectively in classrooms, teachers are being trained in institutional strategies such as cooperative learning and concept attainment. “We have adopted child-centered strategies supported by latest research in education. These strategies are proven to improve learning levels of students by moving away from mundane lecturing to a more interactive teaching in classrooms. This will encourage a child to think on his own,” said Ian Krips, one of the experts.

Commissioner-cum-secretary of state school and mass education, Aparajita Sarangi inaugurated this programme, organised by All-India Primary Teachers’ Federation (AIPTF) in collaboration with the All-Utkal Primary Teachers’ Federation (AUPTF) and Education International. She spoke about the Right to Education Act and hoped the problems surrounding the education system in the state would be tackled within a period of four months.

Highlighting the importance of competent teachers in achieving quality education, she said, “This is the responsibility of the government that they (AIPTF and AUPTF) have taken up. The government is taking all out measures to ensure universal enrolment, retention and quality education”.

Here, around Rs 1.5 lakh is being spent for teachers’ training, which will be borne by AIPTF and AUPTF on a 70:30 basis.

Asked if there is an overlapping of training with too many workshops conducted for teachers in the recent months, director of the Professional Training Programme, Ajit Singh said, “Training is being imparted through innovative and up-to-date instruction strategies which have not been covered in the training progarmmes organised by the state government or under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan.”

A similar programme had earlier been conducted in the state six years ago, said Pramod Kumar Jhankar, president of the AUPTF.