The Strategic Policy Unit (SPU) was set
up by the Faisalabad district government
in 2002, as a policy think-tank. SPU set
up the Institute of Learning (IoL) with
the specific aim of material development
and teacher training, which followed the
Whole School Development model for their
training program. In this study the
educationist, Dr. Fareeha Zafar, employs
qualitative research methods by using
six case studies of successful schools
under the Whole School Development
program with an agenda to provide inputs
for the training component, capacity
building of the Department of Education
(DoE) and the IoL in research-related
activities.
The compilation of the case studies
highlight largely positive changes
introduced by the Whole School
Development program within the six
schools in the Faisalabad district. All
the school examples are unique and apart
from the various inadequacies they
exhibit. It is established through their
analysis that the trainings imparted to
the selected teachers did significantly
translate into meaningful results. The
common results were the teacher’s
substitution of pedagogical teaching
methodologies for more interactive,
activity based learning, utilization of
teaching kits and supplementary material
resulting in an overall change in
outlook of the teachers regarding their
profession. The study highlights how the
successfully trained teachers were not
only instrumental in creating an
environment conducive to learning but
also engaging the community and local
officials. They raised funds for their
schools, countered gender differentials,
increased enrollment and learning
achievements of the students and
innovated strategies for better
utilization of educational resources and
time. The report also discusses how this
impact may be diluted if the trainings
are not regular and their monitoring and
evaluation by the government is not
institutionalized. The study concludes
by looking at the kinds of questions and
ideas that the case studies raise, and
how they may be generalized to
incorporate the larger context of
education, with the objective to allow
for an open-ended discussion, which in
turn may provide some solutions and can
inform future policies and planning.
