The professional Development Academy (PDA), housed in the Directorate building, is the pedagogical support unit of the Foundation. The Academy functions under Manager PDA and Curriculum and other supportive staff.

Functions of the Academy
Core functions of the academy are:
• Imparting Training
• Curriculum Development
• Monitoring and Evaluation

1. Organizing Training Programs
Core function of the Professional Development Academy is to organize training programs are arranged for Baacha Khan Schools teachers and members of Community Education Committees (CECs) for community mobilization campaigns. In addition to imparting the training PDA, keeps follo up on the impacts and implications of training programs and interacts on regular basis with the teachers and students in school setting. Training to the teachers is imparted both in English and Pashto. PDA undertakes basically those activities that focus on the improvement of pedagogical skills of teachers conducive to improved learning outcomes.
In this sphere the Academy finds and coordinates with partner organizations and resource persons for need assessment for teachers’ training and to get their independent evaluation on the performance of the teachers.

Training Schedule
The participation of all BKS teachers in the training programs is mandatory. The teachers’ training programs are usually scheduled during non-teaching period; however the training schedule is prepared keeping in view the training type.
Types of Trainings
The following types of training are provided to the teachers
• Pre-service Training
All the newly appointed teachers go through an initial training programs this gives them an insight into the nature and objectivity of the BKS and confidence to start their career with more professionalism.
• In- service Training
The development of impact and need assessment strategies concerning teachers’ training is underway by the coordinator PDA.BKEF plans to impart training in the light of the findings to improve the areas where further training is required. For this purpose non-teaching period of winter and a part of summer vacation holidays is allocated.
• On- job Training
Direct observations of the teaching methodologies is carried out and class based training is provided to the teachers.
• Refreshers and Crash Courses
BKEF plans to arrange refreshers and short term courses from time to time for more effective teaching outcomes.
• Over-seas Training Programs
Some of our international funding partners have expressed their interest in arranging over-seas visits for BKS teachers for a wider exposure to developed pedagogical and class room structures. In this connection the BKEF is planning on utilization of the upcoming summer holidays.

2. Monitoring and Evaluation

in pursuance of attaining a quality teaching and learning out comes, the academy's Montoring and Evaluation Wing carries out assessment on regular basis.

Monitoring and Assessment of the Students
The assessment and evaluation of students’ progress is conducted through teachers’ observations, class work assessments, through term exams, held every three months, and monthly tests which is further assessed by the academy in a systematic way. The scrutiny of the term examination results is carried out by the PDA. The monthly tests reports are also maintained by the BKSs on regular basis.

The examination schedule at the BKSs is as under
First term exams ________ November 21st to 29th.
Second Term exam ___________ Feb 21st to 28th.
Third Term exam________ May 12th to 19th.
Monthly tests are held in the first week of each month. With the participation of the children the academy develops testing methods for the students.

Quality Assurance of Teachers' Performance

The PDA carries out monitoring and assessment of teachers’ performance on regular basis. An efficient system has been developed to measure the effectiveness of the training programs. In order to ensure quality pedagogical practice at the Baacha Khan Schools, PDA employs following mechanism for check and assessment:

Internal Evaluation System
The Director PDA along with Coordinator Curriculum pays unannounced visits to the schools at the end of each month to evaluate the pedagogical practices. Besides, a scrutiny of students’ performance is carried out on term basis with a view to discover areas that can be further improved.

Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs)
The PTAs are another means to judge the teacher’ performance. Parents teachers meetings have been scheduled thrice a year. Parents are encouraged to participate in these meetings followed by each term. PTAs bear close connection to the CECs that forward the feedback from the PTAs to the monitoring and evaluation wing of the academy.

External Evaluation System
An adept resource person is invited once during the academic year that visits the schools and observes the on-going learning process and makes independent and neutral assessment of the effectiveness of the training programs.

3. Curriculum Development
In addition to arranging training programs, the PDA engages itself in developing curriculum on lines of modern international educational standards for primary levels. The PDA strives to keep the flexible curriculum areas in tune with modern educational trends. It also develops pedagogical frame work for schools and improves the same on the basis of teachers’ performance and students learning outcomes.

Achievements in the Curriculum Development Area

The PDA has successfully completed two Pashto text books, Pashto Nursery da para and Pashto prep da para, while text book for class one is under process.

Specialized Pashto Syllabus
To incorporate and invigorate Pakhtoon cultural values and the ideas of peace and non- violence, the PDA has embarked upon producing Pashto syllabus in the light of Government of Pakistan educational policy.
The subject matter of Pashto text books comprises theories of peace and Pakhtoon culture and traditions related content. Pashto is being taught as a dimensional subject that highlights its own status as a rich language on one hand and as a medium of instruction for contents on peace and liberty on the other hand. The study of world renowned personalities famous for their efforts for global peace i.e. Nelson Mandela, Baacha Khan and Mahatma Gandhi together with an introduction to Pakhtoon Code of conduct is likely to be included in Pashto text books.

Arts and Crafts
The arts and crafts is taught both as a theoretical and practical subject to develop creative skills and aesthetic sense. The aim for teaching this subject at the primary level is to leave children with a wider choice to follow as a major at higher levels.
A female subject specialist has been appointed in each school that carries out arts and crafts related learning activities with low cost materials.

Teaching Methodology
The BKS teachers perform their job responsibly. At the beginning of each term the teachers carry out lesson planning using audio/visual aids and other teaching resources. Teachers are given training on child centered learning so all the activities carried out are meant to develop the child’s skills. Use of work sheets is carried out at regular basis with little guidance to encourage child to use his own approach. Teachers take up the responsibility of improving the pupils both ideologically and behaviorally. Teaching methodology is formulated in the light of Bennet’s Teaching Cycle, which has the following features.
1. Planning and Preparation
2. Presentation
3. Implementation
4. Assessment and Evaluation
Bennet’s Teaching Cycle



Pedagogical Strategies of the PDA

A pedagogical framework has been chalked out on the basis of interactive process between trainers and the trainees. The framework developed, is projected to guide the trainees in teaching activity with primary school children. Following are the features of the framework.

1. The students will guide the teachers in the class
The information and interest of the student has to be brought out from hiding. Larger and larger amounts of information will be given by the students .the teacher will participate to give a minimum spark for student involvement.
2. Culture will be the basis of interaction
The students bring the most important colorful book of knowledge to the school, i.e. their culture, each item and activity of their surroundings. All subjects such as Mathematics, English, Pashto, Science, Social science and Islamic studies are available in culture, and make the foundation for adding more and more information.

3. The language of culture or vernacular will be the basis.
The book of culture is written in the language of the culture, so all information will be introduced through Pashto or the vernacular of the surroundings.

4. The items of the culture will be expressed in English to interpenetrate Pashto and English.
English as a way of looking at culture will be the complementary process, gradually supplementing and taking off as the more important tool for further information.
Practice in English may follow the following lines parallel, to enhance the speed of learning the language.Practicing sounds produced by perambulating on a group of few letters at a time. This process will be continued till the entire alphabet has been covered. Pashto sounds and terms will be written in English letters.
In any subject larger words may be introduced, practiced once or twice and written on the boards and copies by the students. This will be the introductory appreciation of the overall shape sound and meaning of the word, i.e. the gestalt appreciation.
In the school, outside the class, teacher to teacher and student teacher interaction will be in English.

5. Guide to speaking
It is important that speech used by the teachers be at slow speed, silence or pause be used, clarity of words and volume of speech should be taken care of.

6. Children’s power to copy or imitate.
Primary school age is signified by great power to copy or imitate. Hence pronunciation should be correct.

7. Avoiding use of negative terms.
Avoid use of negative terms such as no, bad, poor, scary ideas, death, hell, heaven, killing etc.

8. Concentration
While a child is concentrating on a useful activity e.g. writing, reading telling a story etc do not break the concentration.

9. Use of real life solid things as examples.
All information should be based on material, real life cultural or non-cultural things. Children at this age do not appreciate concepts such as numbers in general, good or bad in general, eating in general, happiness in general, fighting in general, large numbers, large distances, time in general, space in general. Such concepts are derivatives of real life, which may or may not be appreciated in later age.

10. Teaching of Islamic Values
Islamic teaching should be based on moral activities and ideas, but the latter not as broad concepts but arising in the interaction of the culture, at home or school.
11. Minimized guidance.
Tailing off of guidance in all activities is essential such that the child is confident and happy in its own guidance.

12. Avoid too much repetition.
Repetition of words or ideas, so that the children can memorize them, leads to boredom and a break in the natural flow of interaction. Do not check the memory of the students again and again. A powerful memory is implicit in all the children’s activity, since as we have said, they have a great power to copy A balance between repetition and flow of information is necessary.

13. Balance between accuracy and enjoyment.
Make a balance between the accuracy and enjoyment of an activity. Over emphasizing accuracy spoils enjoyment, both for the teacher and the student.
Accuracy comes with time.
==================