The University of Oxford has entered into a groundbreaking partnership with the Malala Fund to support the Pakistani non-governmental organization Durbeen in training teacher-educators. This initiative marks the first program of its kind in South Asia, as highlighted by renowned musician and education reform advocate Shehzad Roy.
In an interview at Oxford, Roy expressed gratitude to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai for her instrumental role in facilitating this collaboration.
The partnership aims to develop the curriculum for a Master’s (MS) program designed to prepare faculty who will subsequently teach Bachelor of Education (BEd) courses in Pakistan’s teacher training institutions.
The MS program will feature five specialization tracks: Language, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and Educational Psychology. Each track will cultivate teacher-educators qualified to teach corresponding BEd courses. The ultimate goal is to create a skilled workforce capable of transforming teacher education across Pakistan, thereby fostering a new generation of professionally trained, high-quality school teachers.
Key figures involved in this initiative include the Malala Fund, Shehzad Roy, founder of the Zindagi Trust, Salma A. Alam, CEO of Durban, and Oxford’s Dr. Ann Childs, Dr. Aliya Khalid, and Dr. Ian Thompson.
Dr. Thompson noted his visit to Karachi and other areas in Pakistan, where he met with teachers and trainers to gain firsthand insight into the training process for educators. “This experience has been invaluable in shaping the specific curriculum for teacher-educators. We are confident this program will greatly benefit trainers. Our collaboration with Pakistani colleagues has been extensive in its development,” he stated.
Roy emphasized the importance of proper training for teachers, stating, “If teachers lack adequate training, it adversely affects students, resulting in qualifications without the necessary critical thinking and analytical skills required in today’s world. This program is designed for trainers, and we believe its impact will enhance educational standards for generations.”
Alam added, “This initiative represents a significant milestone for Pakistan, particularly as it focuses on developing teacher-educators as a distinct category—a first for the country. In fact, this is the only program globally that centers solely on teacher-educators. Quality begins at the top; without capable teacher-educators, we cannot cultivate a qualified school teaching workforce. This is precisely the change that Durbeen aims to bring about in partnership with the University of Oxford and the Malala Fund.
“Through this program, we will train teacher-educators for government teacher training institutions, which will, in turn, prepare teachers for government schools. This initiative heralds the beginning of a future where Pakistan can emerge as a hub of educational innovation,” she concluded.
