Student Name: Sabiha Gull

Father Name: Bahawal Sher

Roll No: 0000057854

Code No: 8624

Course Title: Secondary Education

Assignment No: 01

Assignment No.1

QUESTION NO.1

Discuss the stages of Piaget’s theory and its

importance in Secondary Education (SSE)?

Answer
Secondary education is an important segment in every person’s life. It also serves as a means to
potentially empower girls, raise a person’s economic status and reduce infant mortality rates as
these listed facts will show. Here are the 10 facts about the importance of secondary education.

1. Child marriage would reduce by 64 percent if all girls received a secondary

education. Moreover, early pregnancies would lower by 59 percent.
2. There are more than 226 million children around the world who do not attend secondary
school. If these children were all to go onto secondary education, then the under-five
mortality rate would fall by 49 percent. According to Ann M. Veneman, the Executive
Director of UNICEF, evidence shows that girls who receive an education are more likely to

take better care of their families, and in turn, reduce infant mortality rates.
3. A person’s earnings should increase by 10 percent on average for each year of
school they attend. As a result, education may help boost economies and bring
populations out of poverty.
4. In 29 countries around the world, children must complete secondary school. Some
developed and developing countries will even pay for children to attend secondary school.

5. In just 40 years, a country could raise its Growth Domestic Product (GDP) per capita

by 23 percent through equal access to education.

6. The attendance of all children to school would require $39 billion in funding every
year.
7. Children often start to drop out of school after primary school. The decrease in
enrollment is as much as 10 percent worldwide and 34 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa.
8. In the year 2012, reports stated that there were 168 million child labor workers
between the ages of five and 17. This is one of the reasons a child might be unable to
attend school.
 9. In most developing countries, public school is not free for children to attend, as they
must purchase books, uniforms and other school supplies. Even factoring out the costs of
going to school, 67 million children still do not receive the right to attend. As a result,
millions of children do not obtain a proper education, making it difficult to find substantial

forms of employment. One solution to this has been Child Empowerment

International, an organization that works to provide education to children
across the world by setting up day schools for children without access to education, such
as in refugee camps.
10. While girls are less likely to be able to attend school in the first place, boys are more
likely to repeat grades or drop out of school altogether. This is due to various issues within

their countries, such as restrictions on education for women or early marriage.

There are many issues regarding education and while there are many projects working to
decrease these issues, the issue is still at large. There is a need for an international presence
regarding the importance of secondary education, and education itself.

WOMEN IN EDUCATION:
In Pakistan, the rate of women’s literacy remains low as
compared to men’s. Women have a low percentage of participation in society. The status of
women in Pakistan especially in rural areas is low which is due to social and cultural obstacles.
One of the strangest aspects in Pakistan is that some place especially in northern tribal areas the
family is against of educating girls. The situation in NWFP and Baluchistan is most critical. The
rate of women literacy is 3-8%. Many organizations have opened such schools in these areas that
provide education. Unfortunately, the government has not taken any steps or measurements to
promote literacy to girls’ education in these areas. “In 1981 only 7% of women in rural areas
were literate, compared with 35% in urban areas. Among men, these rates were 27 and 57
percent, respectively”. This backwardness of the women is due to the non-equal treatment with
them.In developed countries male female are considered equally. This unequal treatment with
women takes the country to backward. In Pakistan a system of education with equal
opportunities of education to male and female must be provided.

BACKGROUNG OF EDUCATION POLICY

In 2005, the Government of Pakistan has decided to
review the National Education Policy to achievable in the field of education to overcome the
problem regarding conflicts and achieve a knowledge that permits every person to realize his
duty. This policy review will result in a policy which is applicable to all providers of education
in Pakistan in which formal and non-formal states are included. In Pakistan context the essential
part is ideological bases and historically provided by Islam as an ideology derived from Islamic
religion. Islam is the fundamental source of providing values for our daily life. It also provides
an ethical conduct which is an essential precondition for social development. Pakistani education
sector is the most neglected sector. The literacy rate in Pakistan is 49.9% as of 2008. Education
Policy has to be nationally developed and owned. It is simplistic and unprofitable to prepare it at
the federal level and thrust upon the provinces. In Pakistan till now at least nine documents have
issued that have the status of a policy. Each policy was prepared with varying degree and
involvement of the federating units.

Main development Challenges

Following are the main issues and challenges in adult literacy and non-formal education:

 There is no separate budget allocation for adult literacy from total expenditures on
education; the 10% is spent on other, which includes adult literacy, NFBE, teachers
training, Madrassahs reform, etc.
 There is a lack of a coordination b/w organizational structure and institutional
mechanism for literacy.
 Due to lack of training of teachers and of formalized curriculum and non-existence of
effective research in the field of literacy and continuing education the professional
base of adult literacy initiatives remained under developed.
 ..Local language is being ignored or not even taught to learn basic literacy.
 ..The link between basic and post literacy is missing in existing literacy programs’, which
resulted in bad situation on the part of learners and teachers.
 The basic literacy need to be properly equipped with skill based post literacy
programs, that support learners/teachers to go beyond reading, writing and numerous
generating skills and sustainable improvement in their lives.
 In the past years due to political instability and insecurity in the country creates a big
challenge for all nation.
  Public private partnership is also a not properly linked in literacy programs; it needs to
be streamlined through proper facilitation and coordination.

Private sector in Education

Pakistan has highlighted some facts recently in new publications regarding primary level
education sector.

a. In Pakistan children rate going to private schools has rapidly growths to about 1/3rd of
total
b. Private schools are largely present in both urban and in rural areas.

These publications have also argued that

a. In private schools the Quality of education is better than public (gauged through
testing) even when one controls for income and such factors, and
b. Cost of provision of this education, per child, is lower than in the public sector.

In education private investment is encouraging. At national and provincial levels there shall be
regulatory bodies to regulate activities and smooth functioning of privately-managed schools and
institutions of higher education through proper rules and regulations.

For setting-up of educational facilities by the private sector a reasonable tax rebate shall be
granted on the expenditure. Through Education Foundations matching grants shall be provided
for establishing educational institutions by the private sector in the rural areas or poor urban
areas. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education existing institutions of higher learning
shall be allowed to negotiate for financial assistance with donor agencies. Schools which are
running on non-profit basis shall be exempted from all taxes. According to the principles laid
down in the Federal Supervision of curricula, Textbooks and Maintenance of Standards of
Education Act, 1976 the Curricula of private institutions must conform. In consultation with the
government the fee structure of the privately managed educational institutions shall be
developed.
Rapid growth in poverty:

According to 2002 Economic Survey Report, “Most of the

inhabitants of Pakistan are poor and 40% of them live under poverty line, about 70% of its
population dwells in villages. About 300,000, young ones are jobless. They have no access to
good education”. This report shows that how much difficulties and troubles have been faced by
this poor and suppressed class of the country. The main occupation of people is agriculture
which is yearly generated which cannot fulfill their daily and basic needs of life. It is also noted
that only 1% landlords hold almost 95% of lands in Pakistan which is totally unfair. This unjust
division of land creates a huge economical problem which not only for the poor but also the
government.

Political Negligence:

“If you want to destroy the future of any nation, no need to wage war with them; defunct
their education, they will remain no more live on the map of the world.”

Still now no politician has paid attention in improving the

standard of education so far, as far as the question of history of development of education in
Pakistan is concerned. In case of Sindh, in early 1970s, lingual riots took place and a new cancer
of copy culture was introduced and boosted up by politicians to prevail among the people. No
official steps were taken in curbing this fatal disease. Now, the result is that throughout the
country Sindhi students are understood the outcome of copy culture and basic rights in every
walk of life are denied to them, because however, they may be genius and creators but the fact
remained that they lack in management and unable move the economy of the country just
because they bear a title of COPY CULTURE. It was a political conspiracy based on totally bias.

Being a Sindhi, I do not favour Sindh is that they are not

given a proper share in different walks of life, whatever is happening to them is the only outcome
of wrong and misled policies which have been blindly followed up by them. Patriotism is the
very hinge for all virtues, living in the same country everyone at first is Pakistani then Sindhi,
Punjabi, Balochi and or Pathan, respectively. So, now it is our turn to turn a new leaf and pace
with our other provincial brothers to improve the management of our beloved country Pakistan,
elieving in “united we stand, divided we fall”. Education has become a question of survival for
us; less developed man cannot bring the change in improving the skills that are vital for the uplift
of the education.

QUESTION NO.2

Write a note on the importance of National Bureau

of Curriculum and textbooks?

Answer
The first formal exercise in curriculum development was undertaken as a result of the Report of
the Commission on National Education 1959. The Commission analyzed the situation pertaining
to curriculum development and reforms and made useful commendations. Pursuant to the
recommendations of the Commission the Ministry appointed two Curriculum Committees for
Primary and Secondary Education in 1960.

In the mid sixties the new concept of integrated and modernized science courses was introduced.
This effort was initially confined to science education but was later carried on into other subject
areas also. It was a significant contribution made by a group scientists and curriculum specialists
that they had succeeded in preparing the people mentally for change. Curriculum development
was never visualized as a distinct and specialized function. The entire curriculum activity was
done through committees which were created for a specific purpose at a specific time and were
dissolved as soon as the task was over.
No permanent committee network was set up to advise and evaluate the curriculum development
and implementation.
It is in this context, that need to create the National Bureau of Curriculum and Textbooks
(NBCT) at Federal level was felt for coordinating the activities of various committees and centre.
Similar organizations at provincial level were also established. The existing Curriculum Wing of
the Ministry of Education is, in fact, a developed form of the National Bureau of Curriculum and
Textbooks. After the promulgation of 1973 Constitution the Curriculum, Syllabi, Planning
Policy, Centres, of Excellence, Standards of Education and Islamic Education were placed on the
Concurrent Legislative List of the Federal Government. This was a significant departure from the
previous position when the education was an entirely provincial subject. Whenever it is intended
to frame
or revise a curriculum, the Curriculum Wing of the Ministry of Education sends the proposals to
the provincial curriculum bureau/centres. These bureau/centres develop or revise the curriculum
in the light of frame-work provided by the Curriculum Wing of the Ministry of Education. In the
provincial centres, the revision or framing of curriculum is done by the committees. These
committees comprise subject specialists and persons equipped with pedagogical skills. The draft
curriculum is sent to the Curriculum Wing for their consideration and approval.

In the Curriculum Wing the draft curriculum on each subject received from provincial
bureau/centres is put up to the concerned National Review Committee. This committee is usually
constituted for each subject and comprises the nominees of the provincial governments and
subject specialists considered suitable for the purpose.

The curriculum finalized by the National Review Committee is then put up to the Federal
Education Secretary for approval. The approved curriculum is sent to the Provincial Textbook
Boards for production of textbooks. The Curriculum Wing works in close collaboration with the
provincial curriculum bureau/centres, the education departments, the Textbook Boards, the
Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education and other research organizations such as
Institutes of Education and Research in the provinces.

In fact the Curriculum Centres in the provinces are associated centres of the Curriculum Wing of
the Federal Ministry of Education. Curriculum Wing also works in close collaboration with other
international agencies. This wing is also an associated centre of the UNESCO’s Asian
Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID), Bangkok. This facilitates the
flow of information not only between these two agencies but also with other foreign agencies
through UNESCO.

This wing participates in curriculum development activities of other countries tinder various
bilateral educational and cultural agreements. Our secondary teachers’ training programme is
also faulty and has made the problem crucial. Teachers should be trained in basic and vocational
curriculum also.

Teachers are like the spinal chord of the school. The school cannot function well if the teachers
are inefficient and inadequate in number. Today the schools have few able teachers. Now we
need urgently vocationally trained teachers to make the scheme of vocationalization of secondary
education a success. Still many secondary teachers are untrained. Dearth of efficient and properly
trained teachers is a peculiar feature of present-day secondary schools. The teaching profession
does not attract talented students. Conditions of work and service of teachers should be
improved. Private tuition by teachers should also be discouraged
14) The curriculum poses a great problem in the field of secondary education. It is difficult to
have a universally accepted curriculum because the needs of one state differ from the others. Our
country is a multi-lingual and multi-religious country. The NCERT and the All India Council for
Secondary Education are trying to forge out a universally accepted curriculum. In recent years
the Secondary School Curriculum is almost uniform with some variations according to local
needs. Inspire of this there are some inherent defects in the curriculum. Both the Mudaliar and
Kothan Commissions made some fruitful suggestions to make the secondary- school curriculum
up-to-date and useful. but these have not produced the desired results. Many defects still persist
in the curriculum and new defects have appeared. It does not properly reflect the needs of the
individual as well as the society. It is narrowly conceived and is largely of unilateral character.
There is not sufficient variety and elasticity. It is theoretical bookish unpractical and not life-
centered. “The education imparted in most secondary schools is, generally speaking, of the
academic type leading at the end of the school course to university admission rather than entry
into a vocation”. The curriculum is heavy and overloaded particularly at the plus-two stage. The
curriculum still lays great emphasis on the acquisition of the knowledge and comparatively little
on the building up of those skills, aptitudes, values and interests which are essential for the full
development of the student personality”. There is little scope for vocational training which is
essential for rapid economic development, proper utilization of natural and human resources of
the country.

15) The curriculum has intimate connection with the method of teaching. The method followed
by most of the secondary teachers is stereotyped, obsolete and un-psychological. Modern
activity-centred methods are not applied by the teachers. Many of them are not familiar with
these methods and as such they fail to attract the attention tension of the students. As a result the
lessons become unproductive and the effects are far from satisfactory. There are practical
difficulties also in way of applying modem methods of teaching in our school situations. Many
schools are not properly equipped with laboratory and library facilities, necessary teaching aids
and appliances. Most of the secondary schools are over-crowded, ill-staffed and suffer from
inadequate number of teachers and accommodation. The average teacher-pupil ratio is 1: 50. But
for effective arid creative teaching it should be 1: 30. There is little scope for tutorial work. No
fruitful teaching is possible without personal contact between the teacher and the taught.
16) Next comes the problem of text-books which is also intimately connected with the problem
of curriculum and methodology of teaching. Many students suffer from want of text-books which
are very costly. Text-books are often changed. This has added fuel to the fire. 45% of the
population in our country lives below the subsistence level. It is not possible for them to
purchase text-books for their children and to supply necessary stationery needed for educational
purposes. They cannot bear other educational expenses of their wards. It might have been better
if text-books could be supplied free of cost. In many socialistic as well as capitalistic countries
text books are supplied free of cost upto secondary level. But our educational system has not yet
been nationalised and the budgetary provision for education is very scanty. It is only 2½ %.
Under the circumstances, the Govt. should give financial assistance to the private publishers so
that the prices of text-books may be kept at reasonable level. Due to competition the private
publishers also will be forced to maintain the reasonable quality or standard.

17) The entire system of education is vitiated by examination. The educational achievements of
students are measured by the single measuring rod known as examination. The prevailing essay-
type examination dominates the educational arena. But it has developed a large number of
defects and as such it is no longer regarded as the only measuring rod for determining the
academic achievements of students. The main charge against the essay-type examination is that it
is vitiated by subjectivity. For this reason, along with essay-type examination which has its own
intrinsic merits objective type tests and short-answer type tests have been introduced. But the
latter two are not entirely free from defects. It is true that these have improved the examination
process and made the system more scientific and reliable. We cannot reject the essay type
examination altogether. But it should be reformed in the desired channels. Some reforms are
needed after careful thinking and a good deal of research. The Radhakrishna Commission, the
Hartog Committee, the Mudaliar Commission and the Kothari Commission all have made
important recommendations and observations in respect to examination reform. Many of these
have been put into operation and still many are under consideration. External examination alone
should not be accepted as a tool for measuring the academic achievements of students. Internal
evaluation throughout the year by the internal teachers should also be used for examining the
students. Bi-weekly or monthly tests of the students should also be considered for assessing their
academic achievements. Instead of percentile marks abilities of students should be measured in
grades. For this purpose a five point scale (A, B, C, D, E) may be used. Along with essay type
questions at least 30 percent of the total marks should be assigned to objective tests.

18) Many secondary schools suffer from inadequate finance. Our educational system has not yet
been nationalized. But public and private sectors run side by side. Most of the secondary
schools are under private sector. Government schools are very few. The schools run by private
sector have always to face the problem of inadequate funds. For running of the schools they
have to look for the Govt. grants which are very meagre and paid irregularly. As a result private
aided schools cannot maintain proper standard. Teachers are not paid regularly and disgruntled
teachers cannot act properly. Neither have they had good school buildings nor good teachers
and suitable teaching materials. Both the Govt. and the public should co-operate with each other
for organising the necessary funds for the schools.

19) The teacher-training programmes in our country are inadequate and far from satisfactory.
Teaching is a difficult task. It is an art. Only academic degrees cannot make one an able and
ideal teacher. Teaching is not only a profession; it is also a mission. Dedicated teachers are now-
a-days very few. Training is essential for every teacher. Still many secondary teachers are
untrained. difficult to get admission in training colleges. Existing institutions are overloaded. The
period of training is also too short. It is ten to eleven months. At the secondary level it should be
at least two years. The most objectionable part of the training programme is the conducting of
the practice teaching. Above all what the teachers learn during training period they can not apply
it after going back to their respective schools. So training remains as paper-training. For
professional growth and efficiency there should be adequate arrangements for in service training
programmes during puja or summer vacations through the organisation of refresher course, short
intensive course, workshop, seminar, conference etc.

20) The administration of the secondary schools does not appear to be efficient. Education
administration in India is a three-tier process – Central, Slate and district. Secondary education is
for all practical purposes under the control of the State Govts. though the Central Govt.
formulates general policy and guidelines applicable all over the country uniformly. But there is a
dual administration over secondary schools in each state – the Department of Education and the
State Board of Secondary Education. The Board determines the nature of the curriculum, text
books and conducts examinations. The Department formulates general policies, allocates funds
and takes measures for professional efficiency and training of teachers. Because of this dual
control the secondary schools are not achieving their purposes, because of lack of harmony and
co-ordination between the officers of these two controlling units. In fact, there should be a
mutual cooperation between the two for achieving the objectives of secondary education.
Unusual delay takes place in taking important decisions and in disposing files. Red-tapism is the
order of the day. Due to ill decisions or delay in decisions schools and their teachers had to suffer
tremendous financial hardships. At least 25,000 litigations are pending in West Bengal. These
cases should be disposed of at an early date in the interest of education irrespective of political
affiliation of teachers. Supervision is a part of administration. Secondary schools are not properly
supervised by school inspectors. Inspection is almost a far cry in the field of secondary
education. There are different graded Govt. Inspectors, but the number of inspectors is not
sufficient. The inspectors are so busy with their files in their offices that they get little time for
supervision and inspection of schools under their charge. Moreover, the attitude of the inspectors
in respect of teachers is below the norm. Their attitude appears to be that of a master. But they
should know that they are co-partners of teachers. Their attitude should be democratic and they
should try to solve the difficulties of the teachers and problems of the schools.

21) Many schools suffer from an atmosphere of indiscipline and non- academic activities. This is
mainly due to the influence of political parties. Almost every political party has a student wing
and it very often interferes with the day to day administration of schools. This is not desirable in
the interest of smooth running of school administration and maintaining academic atmosphere in
schools. It is true that sometimes school management takes wrong decisions and makes delay in
taking decisions which aggravate the situation. All litigations and problems should be solved
through discussions round the table. Probably for maintaining proper academic tone in
educational institutions the National Education Policy, 1986 has proposed depoliticisation of
education. The proposal is welcomed from academic point of view.

22) The education imparted in secondary schools is not psychologically sound as it does not
provide ample opportunities to the students to receive education according to their abilities,
interests and aptitudes It is not based on the pedagogical concept of individual differences.
It
does not fulfill the needs and aspirations of adolescent children. The only remedy to this situation
is the introduction of varied and diversified curriculum in secondary schools.

23) Since independence the growth of secondary education is tremendous. The demand for
secondary education has increased to a large extent because it is now regarded as the minimum
level of education for an individual. Still all the students between the age group 14 – 18 are not
provided with opportunities for having secondary education. All who have completed elementary
education are not getting admissions because of dearth of accommodation. The only solution to
this pressing problem is “open door policy” in respect of admission in secondary schools.
Admission should not be selective up to Class X. More schools should be set up. More expansion
is needed but surely not at the cost of qualitative improvement.

24) Secondary education has not yet been nationalized. It is still a privilege in the hands of a
certain sections of population. This is extremely regrettable. Secondary schools differ in their
standards. There are thousands of sub-standard schools in the country. Due to financial
difficulties many students are deprived of secondary education. Secondary education is not even
free throughout India. Boys enjoy more educational privileges than girls. Educational privileges
are far better in cities than in villages. This situation should be ameliorated by providing equal
opportunities of education to all children reading in secondary schools irrespective of caste,
creed, sex, social and economic status. This is possible only through nationalization of
education.

25) Since independence quality of secondary education has suffered a set-back. This is caused by
various reasons such as paucity of funds want of suitable equipment’s, ever increasing pressure
on enrolment, dearth of able and dedicated teachers and faulty planning. There is large number
of sub-standard secondary schools in the country. A good number of superfluous schools also
exist. Many schools are devoid of minimum infrastructural provision. Secondary education is
still the weakest link in our educational chain. Wastage is mounting in secondary level also due
to failures. Only qualitative improvement of secondary education can reduce this huge wastage.
Quantity and quality should go hand in hand.
 QUESTION NO.3

Highlight the importance of professional

development and role of the Technology and
Innovation in professional development?

Answer
Professional development (PD) in the 21st century is important to
the growth and development of the contemporary educator. Today’s educational realm is full of
multiple perspectives, technologies, and opportunities for students and educational leaders. The
goal of professional development for educators is to go beyond maintenance and to create
sustainability and professional longevity.

As students today continue to change and evolve in the areas of technology and access to
information, the core values of being firm, fair, and consistent with their learning remains true.
For teachers, effective PD in the 21st century comes from realizing this and finding ways to
enhance teaching and learning strategies.

In education it is vital to know the importance of data-driven instruction to ensure students are
learning effectively and teachers are providing engaging and rigorous instruction. Access to
engaging, rigorous, and relevant PD for teachers is equally as important to develop, as is a
consistent approach to training and development. Instructional practices of the 21st century must
have components of technology, global learning, and the potential to impact a diverse range of
learning styles. When looking at 21st-century PD for teachers and administrators, the goals of the
training must be tailored to the specific needs of the educator.

Why is 21st-Century Professional Development Important?

Acquiring and utilizing professional development in the 21st century is essential for three key
reasons: we must keep learning relevant, create teacher leaders, and add knowledge to the current
body of research in education. Educators are life-longer learners who make an impact on the
students and communities they serve. The impact made with students is a direct outcome of
access to engaging, rigorous, and relevant PD.

Absence of access to quality professional development results in a reduction of the impact

teachers are likely to have during students’ instructional time and less equipped educators to
effectively serve their communities. 21st-century PD comes in many different forms and has
many avenues. It is crucial in order to increase competent and practical educators and increase
understanding of personal teaching and leadership practices.

For teachers, PD allows for instructors to keep up to date on curriculum standards and the latest
teaching strategies. When it comes to school-wide initiatives, PD increases the skill sets of
individuals, and as a result, increases the overall value of the department and grade-level teams.
Due to the need for continuous professional development, there are many models and methods of
PD including graduate education programs, professional conferences, online training courses,
and school and district-wide PD cohorts.

Embrace Reflective Practice

Professional development in the 21st century gives educators the tools and skills to stay modern
with the needs of students and allows them to plan ahead for changing trends in education. In
order to realize areas of strength and areas that need attention for growth, reflective practice is
necessary.
Reflecting on practices for the 21st-century educator involves reflecting on the best practices in
curriculum and instruction. This also involves reflecting on strategies that are most effective in
increasing student and faculty performance. Taking courses in graduate programs or pursuing a
full degree gives knowledge to the graduate student and allows for reflective practice in their
day-to-day educational roles.

Graduate programs are one of the most common forms of professional development. This can
include taking courses to enhance a teaching certificate or pursuing a masters or doctoral degree.
The skills, research, and applications of graduate school all influence the curriculum, instruction,
and overall effectiveness of the practitioner. While learning in their degree programs, the
educational leaders are able to learn reflective practices that help the educator apply what they
have learned at their school or organization.

Rely on and Collaborate with Colleagues

Successful professional development in the 21st century in education involves collaboration,
expansion of knowledge, and increasing expectations for learning outcomes. Effective
professional development comes from collaboration with other colleagues.

One form of PD that relies on collaboration with colleagues is the professional conference. This
allows for educators to learn best practices from each other and share lessons and knowledge that
is specific to their field of education.These conferences are often held by education associations
that have specific members, goals, and collaboration opportunities for the learning consortiums.
These professional groups and conferences can be national or on a statewide basis.
Examples of educational associations that hold national conferences are the National Association
of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the National Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP), The National Education Association (NEA), The National Council of
Teachers of English (NCTE), to name a few. Examples of a localized state organization are the
South Carolina Education Association (SCEA) and California Teachers Association (CTA).
Professional conferences with colleagues foster a sense of community and allow for networking
with other educational leaders.

Use Coaching and Mentoring for Growth

Instructional coaches are present in many school districts. For professional development of staff,
instructional coaches provide a resource for curriculum, mentorship, and addressing school
culture and climate. The return on investment with coaching and mentoring teachers is stability
at the school. Along with stability, coaching allows for highly qualified teachers to collaborate
with others and mentor new teachers. Administrators and teachers alike need effective coaching
and mentoring in order to provide the best opportunities for personal growth and of their peers.
Coaching and mentoring can be on an individual basis but also can be facilitated in a group
setting. An example of this can be found in PD cohorts and Professional Learning Communities
(PLCs).

Establishing PLCs is another way to create an environment for mentoring and coaching for
growth. Within PLC’s are groups of teachers with diverse skills that build consensus around
growth with student outcomes. During PLC meetings, members share knowledge, strategize to
improve on goals, and facilitate professional development. This is also a time when teachers use
data to analyze priority areas with students’ learning and also showcase technology resources for
growth. As knowledge is shared, educators can take their best practices back into the classroom
and throughout the school.

Utilize Technology Resources to Build Knowledge

Due to the changing dynamics of instructional delivery, it is important to have an understanding
of technology resources for educators. Professional development in the 21st century is beneficial
in the areas of technology. Resources such as Grammarly, Schoology, Kahoot, and Flipgrid are
just a few resources that help teachers deliver content and emphasize collaboration with both
teachers and students.

Utilizing technology during PD also has the same effect with the participants. These same
technology resources allow for information to be shared and knowledge to be built in the specific
development areas. The value of professional development in the 21st century comes from the
investments and outcomes of educators and students, as well as the communities that are
impacted by the betterment of the educational leaders.

Education is a never-ending process. It doesn’t stop after earning a degree and starting a career.
Through continuing education, career-minded individuals can constantly improve their skills and
become more proficient at their jobs. In the field of K-12 education administration, it is
particularly important for school administrators to encourage teachers to pursue professional
development, not only to ensure the best learning outcomes for their students but also to be more
effective and satisfied in various other aspects of their work.

Educational technology, school district guidelines and curriculum standards are constantly
changing, making it challenging for teachers to keep up with trends and best practices in the
field. Professional development transforms teachers into better and more apt educators by
enabling them to create relevant and tailored course instructions for today’s students. Research
by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences concluded that student
achievement can improve by as much as 21 percentile points as a result of teachers’ participation
in well-designed professional development programs.

National Board Certification is one path for teachers to pursue professional development and
keep up with the latest educational standards to ensure optimal student learning. One study by
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools found that student performance on end-of-course tests in
Algebra II, Biology, Civics and Economics, Chemistry and Geometry was significantly higher
for those students taught by National Board Certified Teachers than students of teachers without
National Board Certification.

Teachers Learn Better Ways to Teach

When educators discover new teaching strategies through professional development, they are
able to go back to the classroom and make changes to their lecture styles and curricula to better
suit the needs of their students. However, these changes are hard to evaluate because they are
typically implemented gradually. Professional development for teachers makes them more
efficient in their presentations and course evaluations by exposing educators to new delivery
methods, evaluation styles and record-keeping strategies.

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MA IN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Teachers Develop Better Organization and Planning Skills

In addition to the hours spent presenting in the classroom, much of teachers’ time is spent on
student evaluations, curriculum development and other paperwork. Professional development
training can help teachers to become better at planning their time and staying organized. This
ultimately makes teachers more efficient and gives them extra time to focus on students rather
than the paperwork.

Teachers Gain Knowledge and Industry Insight

Students expect teachers to be subject matter experts for the topics they teach. This means
teachers should be able to answer any question a student throws their way. Professional
development programs can enable teachers to expand their knowledge base in different subject
areas. The more professional development a teacher undergoes, the more knowledge and
industry insight he or she gains.

Teachers Want to Continue Their Education

It’s easy for teachers to become burdened by the grind of teaching. Professional development
gives them an opportunity to step out of their routine — they get to be the student instead of the
teacher. This keeps educators engaged because they feel like they are receiving the professional
help they need to be better teachers. After all, professional development nurtures the talents of
teachers who aspire to take on educational leadership positions, and teachers must learn from
other experienced leaders to become effective future leaders themselves.

Implementing professional education development has benefits for both teachers and students,
but most importantly, it helps teachers become better educators and develop into competent
future school administrators.

The state of North Carolina understands the importance of continuing education for its teachers
and school leaders. Public Schools of North Carolina has implemented a NC Professional
Development Office that focuses on providing schools with leadership, resources, technical
assistance, and consultative services in related to professional development with improved
student achievement as the end goal. The site lists various resources for administrators and
teachers to develop skills and learn best practices according to the latest standards in the
education field.
One development option for teachers who are interested in taking on a leadership role and
pursuing school administrator certification is an educational leadership master’s degree. Queens
University of Charlotte’s online MA in Educational Leadership program offers the personal
support and leadership skills teachers need to stay current in the field while becoming better
educators and preparing to become effective school lead.

QUESTION NO.4

Explain the importance of evaluation and

determination of curriculum?

Answer

The purpose of curriculum evaluation is to determine whether or

not the newly adopted curriculum is producing the intended results and meeting the objectives
that it has set forth, and it is an essential component in the process of adopting and implementing
any new curriculum in any educational setting.
Evaluation essentially is the provision of information for the sake of facilitating decision making
at various stages of curriculum development. This information may pertain to the program as a
complete entity or only to some of its components. Evaluation also implies the selection of
criteria, collection and analysis of data. It includes obtaining information for use in judging the
worth of a programme and procedure. It is a comprehensive term and transcends standardized
tests covering all means of ascertaining the results of construction.

Evaluation of curriculum is an integral and essential part of the whole process of curriculum
development. It is a continuous activity and not a “tail-end-process”. Evaluation and planning are
complementary processes which occur almost simultaneously and continuously. Planning is
made on the basis of evaluation and vice versa. However, as a separate state evaluation has its
own entity.
The importance of curriculum evaluation is to determine the value of the curriculum itself is the
curriculum appropriate for the particular group of students with whom it is being used? Are the
instructional methods selected, the best choices in the light of the objectives sought? Is the
content the best that could be selected? Are the materials recommended for instructional purpose
appropriate and the best available for the purpose envisaged?
Objectives of Curriculum Evaluation
To determine the outcomes of a programme.
To help in deciding whether to accept or reject a programme.
To ascertain the need for the revision of the course content.
To help in future development of the curriculum material for continuous improvement.
To improve methods of teaching and instructional techniques.

Types of Curriculum Evaluation:

According to Scriven, following are the 3 main types

Formative Evaluation. It occurs during the course of curriculum development. Its purpose is to
contribute to the improvement of the educational programme. The merits of a programme are
evaluated during the process of its development. The evaluation results provide information to
the programme developers and enable them to correct flaws detected in the programme.
Summative Evaluation. In summative evaluation, the final effects of a curriculum are
evaluated on the basis of its stated objectives. It takes place after the curriculum has been fully
developed and put into operations.
Diagnostic Evaluation. Diagnostic evaluation is directed towards two purposes either for
placement of students properly at the outset of an instructional level (such as secondary
school),or to discover the underlying cause of deviancies in student learning in any field of
study.
Curriculum evaluation is necessary and important aspect. It determine whether the adopted
curriculum is producing the intended results and meeting the expected objectives.

It also helps to decide whether to accept, change or eliminate various aspects of a curriculum.
Evaluators gather data that will help in identifying areas in need of improvement.

Another purpose is to plan how best the identified shortcomings can be addressed.
Curriculum is developed with specific learning outcomes as the end game. If the curriculum
isn't evaluated as to its efficacy, it is difficult to know if it’s working as it should. Curriculum
should
be a living, constantly evolving animal. New lessons should be added and ineffective lessons
removed or modified. Best practices should be shared and ineffective practices stopped. Ongoing
meta-cognition is important as it leads to improvement and innovation.

QUESTION NO.5

Explain the examination promotion and

certification system in the context of Pakistan?

Answer
At present, 3 types of examination systems are being used in Pakistan: semester without external
evaluation, semester with external evaluation, and annual with external evaluation. The first is
being practiced in all private and few public sector institutions, whereas the latter 2 are in use in
most of the public sector and a few private institutes affiliated with public-sector universities.
The grading scheme in all these systems is quite dissimilar.

In collaboration with the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the

Pharmacy Council of Pakistan devised the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum in 2004 for
both annual and semester systems without mentioning the need for external evaluation or the
timeframe for adapting to a single system in the country. This is the root cause of
unstandardization.3 Mahmood and Usman2 witnessed the defects of the annual system, which
prompted institutions to slowly adapt to a semester system. However, this report was neither
factual nor evidence-based, but rather a mere assumption. Standardization cannot be achieved by
adapting a single examination system without incorporating a standardized grading procedure.

A good examination system whether annual or semester, indicates what is

taught and how it is taught. Moreover, evaluation outcomes allow teachers to tailor teaching
strategies and methodologies that may improve both teaching and learning. Presently, such goals
are a daydream, particularly in public sector institutes. My previous letter was not a comparison
between semester and annual systems but rather an attempt to draw the attention of the
authorities to a few points that need to be addressed in support of pharmacy students.
 Contrary to the opinions expressed by Mahmood and Usman,2 my
letter1 indicated that the examination of theory in the annual system was quite fair. The real hitch
was student failure of the practical examination because they failed the oral examination portion,
which accounted for 20% to 30 % of the total grade. This situation was grave because students
who failed either the theory (written) or practical (oral) portion had to retake both examinations,
despite that the subjects were independent. Furthermore, there is no professional body comprised
of institutional-level experts who are available to lend a hand to students by investigating this
situation.

In 2004, pharmacy academia separated the 2 examinations, which resulted

in some improvement, but there was still a need to further refine the system. As a result of some
of the remaining problems, some students fail and discontinue their education or require
psychiatric care. Some reported cases of suicide could have been avoided by establishing a body
of experts to probe the reasons for failure and counsel students. Counseling or psychoanalysis of
failing students can play a pivotal role in improving the success rate among this group and
decreasing depression that leads to suicide.

Turning a blind eye to the grave incidences of suicides by considering them

isolated reports in this and other countries, as mentioned by Mahmood and Usman,2 is beyond
comprehension. In my opinion, based on my experience as officer in charge of examinations, a
mentor needs to be vigilant to students who do not achieve the required outcome and has a
paternal role to motivate and guide such fellows. A teacher may be more inclined to do so if
he/she is held accountable for ghastly results, but at present, this is not occurring at most of
Pakistan's institutes. In this context, a recent healthy development occurred when a vice
chancellor of a public sector university ordered that a teacher would be held responsible if the
failing rate in his class was more than 10%.

I am encouraged that the National Test Service, a public sector organization,

has taken the initiative to launch a pharmacy subjects-based Graduate Assessment Test (GAT),
which is compulsory for those intending to pursue higher
education.4 The Punjab Public Service Commission conducted an examination of over 10,000
candidates who were competing for 117 vacant positions in the Hospital
Pharmacists/Inspector of Drugs in the Punjab Health Department. Despite the graduate
assessment requirement, only 1290 candidates passed the examination and were invited to
appear in front of a board of experts for final selection.5

There is still a dire need for the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan to take an
affirmative role in controlling/restricting growth in the number of pharmacy institutes in the
country, improving the standard of education, and producing pharmacists needed to meet the
national demand. Moreover, the council needs to ponder the prevailing employment situation
before accrediting new pharmacy institutes because there is already an unemployment problem
and the jobs that are available pay exceptionally low wages.

If the number of pharmacy institutes in Pakistan is allowed to increase,

increasing the number of pharmacists in the country, it will only exacerbate the unemployment
problem.6 There is a dire need for a mandatory GAT-type test for the registration of
pharmacists with provincial pharmacy councils, which is obligatory for pharmacy practice in
Pakistan.