Training of primary school teachers in Pakistan : different models

The paper will examine the goals of teacher training, the curriculum, texts, practical courses, and examinations which are currently a part of the required program for primary teacher training. The end result is intended to provide a better understanding of the kind of preparation with which the newly trained teacher approaches his or her new classroom experiences. At present there are three major types of pre-service training offered the aspiring teacher: the Traditional Teacher Training Program, the Field-Based Teacher Training Program, and the Distance Teacher Training Program; and four kinds of inservice training: the Education Extension Centers" Programs, the R.T.C. Program, the P.T.O.C. Program of Allama Iqba Open University and Learning Modules Training of the P.N.E. Wing of the Ministry of Education. Together these programs prepare the teacher for beginning and continuing service in the wide variety of primary schools existing in Pakistan today. With a few specific exceptions, there have been no systematic attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs to assess their strengths or weaknesses, or to identify from the empirical evidence where the programs could be modified to prepare teachers better for their teaching experience. This paper will not attempt such an evaluation but rather will look at training courses from the perspective of their internal consistency and the preparation they provide the teacher. (Author abstract)