ISLAMABAD, OCT 05 (DNA) – The United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is celebrating World Teachers’ Day.

In Pakistan, the day is known as ‘Salam Teachers’ Day’, which fosters awareness, understanding, and appreciation for the vital contribution teachers make to education and development.

As a part of this year’s celebration, USAID, in collaboration with Higher Education Commission, is paying tribute to teachers, course writers, and recent graduates from teacher education institutions by awarding certificates, books, and tablet computers. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.

Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik, Chairman of the Higher Education Commission Dr. Ahmed Mukhtar, and USAID Mission Director John Groarke joined Vice Chancellors from several universities, representatives from federal and provincial departments of education, teachers and students at a ceremony in Islamabad Oct. 5. .

“Caring well-trained teachers are critical to the future of Pakistan,” stressed USAID Mission Director John Groarke.  “Our priority is to train a new generation of teachers, capable of helping students across Pakistan reach their full potential.”

Dr. Allah Bakhsh Malik, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, lauded the efforts of the United States Government in assisting Pakistan to improve the overall quality of teaching standards through professional development.

The USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project is designed to support federal and provincial departments of education to improve the reading skills of Pakistani primary school children across the country.

The project provides reading instructional materials to classrooms, training teachers in new reading instruction techniques, and encouraging schools to dedicate more classroom time for reading.

The Pakistan Reading Project also provides small grants to local civil society organizations and community leaders to create a culture of reading and to improve reading skills among girls.

Through this project, USAID has trained more than 20,000 teachers with instructional techniques.  To date, more than 400,000 primary school children have received reading intervention in public schools across Pakistan.=DNA

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