On January 12, 2011 the American Ambassador, Ken Gross, traveled to Vakhsh District to meet with education officials and teachers taking part in a training session supported by the U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Quality Learning Project (USAID/QLP).
This month, more than 500 primary, secondary math and Tajik language teachers from 36 schools in Vakhsh, Asht and Isfara districts will receive in-service teacher training to help them use new methods in their teaching. The Republican and Regional Teacher Training Institutes with support from USAID/QLP’s staff and master trainers will conduct the training.
During the visit, Ambassador Gross said, “The United States is happy to support your work to strengthen the next generation. Half of the population of Tajikistan is younger than 19. They should grow up to be well educated, active citizens who contribute to their country’s economic growth”
Training for this group of teachers began in August 2010, when teachers mastered general pedagogy concepts and new approaches. USAID/QLP helped the Republican Teacher Training Institute and Regional Teacher Training Institutes develop a revised teacher training curriculum and implement in-service training for teachers that focuses on lesson planning, student-centered learning, interactive learning, new assessment methods, and development of higher order thinking, such as problem solving, analysis and evaluation.
Student centered learning is a highly innovative teaching approach where students participate in the learning process rather than listen passively. The method acknowledges the individual needs, abilities and interests of students, and empowers the student’s voice in the learning process. Group activities, discussions and student-teacher interactions create a dynamic environment where the student is responsible for results of their learning and more connected to the class content. These techniques promote creativity, leadership and entrepreneurship, which will help students succeed in the workplace.
To date, the USAID Quality Learning Project has trained over 1,500 teachers in modern teaching and learning approaches. USAID/QLP has trained about 100 school principals on pedagogical leadership and financial management, and over 50 representatives of state central and regional teacher training institutions on interactive methods of training.
The USAID Quality Learning Project is one of many assistance projects the American people, through USAID, have provided in support of the people of Tajikistan. Since 1992, the American people have funded approximately $900 million in programs that support Tajikistan’s democratic institutions, health care, education and economic growth.
