Tag: teaching

  • Sister Zeph from Gujranwala wins The Global Teacher Prize 2023

    Sister Zeph from Gujranwala wins The Global Teacher Prize 2023

    Sister Zeph, the founder of Zephaniah Education and Empowerment Foundation, received the Global Teacher Prize 2023 worth a million dollars, on November 8.

    Sister Zeph began teaching when she was 13 years old in the courtyard of her home in Gujranwala. Her students were neighbourhood children who couldn’t afford school fees. She has empowered many students from underprivileged backgrounds in a journey spanning 27 years. Her organization is operating two schools and a skills centre primarily in Gujranwala, with students from 11 nearby villages, all of them from humble families.

    She got selected from over 7,000 nominations for the Global Teacher Prize from 130 countries around the world. The ceremony was held at UNESCO’S General Conference in Paris where she accepted her award. “We are delighted to announce that Sister Zeph, an English, Urdu, culture, inter-faith harmony, climate change teacher at Gujranwala, Punjab in Pakistan, has been named the winner of the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize 2023,” the orgnisation announced in a statement.

    UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay congratulated the Pakistani teacher on receiving the prestigious award. “We all remember a teacher who has had an impact on our life and changed our future. It may sound like a truism but it’s true: teachers are life-changers. Congrats to Sister Zeph from Pakistan, 2023 Global Teachers Prize Winner. Thanks to her for her commitment as a life-changer,” she wrote on her Twitter handle.

    With this award, she plans to open another bigger school on a scale of 10 acres where children from poor families can be educated without any discrimination. She has aims of making an orphan house as well where kids will be taught about a range of subjects.

    In an interview, she said that she felt the need to become a teacher because she believed “there should be more people in this profession” and because she thought that there should be more children in school.

  • Sindh becomes the first province to introduce teaching license policy

    In a historical move, Sindh has become the first province to introduce a teaching license policy for instructors from the public and private sector.

    Under this policy, two teacher training insitutes will be established under the Sindh Teacher’s Education Development Authority (STEDA) and a board will be set up to oversee teacher trainings as well as provide professional licenses.

    With this initiative, anyone who wishes to join with a Bachelor’s in Education (BEd.) can give the exam, after which they will be provided with a license to teach students from one of the three categories: elementary (Grades 1-8), primary (Grades 1-5) and secondary (Grades 6-12).

    The Sindh government has also taken a step to attract more people towards the teaching sector by opening up 700 new vacancies for elementary school teachers for BPS-16 across the province, which will be offered to those with a BEd and a teaching license obtained by passing the exam.

    Speaking on the success of the policy, the Provincial Minister of Sindh for Education, Culture, Tourism and Antiquites, Syed Sardar Ali Shah said:

    “Conceptualising and bringing the teaching license policy to life has not been easy. However, I am grateful to Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), Sindh Teachers Education Development Authority (STEDA), Durbeen and all other partners who have worked tirelessly to make this policy a possibility. The success of the next generation of teachers and students ultimately depends on its smooth implementation.”

    He also added that Sindh was the only province in Pakistan to pass the landmark bill which shall improve the teaching profession and attract mroe bright minds to the field:

     “Sindh is the only province that has approved a teaching license policy, which represents a proactive approach to recognising the value and importance of effective teaching. With the policy in place, the Sindh Government has laid the foundation for a more robust and professional teaching workforce, which will have a positive and lasting impact on the educational landscape in the province.”