NGO joins hands with SDMC to pilot teacher training programme

The group will work towards creating a systemic impact in corporation schools within Delhi by working with approximately 250 government teachers each year

Teaching the teachers to teach better is the first-of-its-kind initiative by non-government organisation Peepul, which has collaborated with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to pilot a teacher training programme that works at improving the “capacity” of government teachers.

Being done under a public private partnerships (PPP) initiative, NGO Peepul has been working here in India since 2010.

“In the academic year 2017-18, through its partnership with government school in Lajpat Nagar III, designated ‘Resource Centre’ for training, the focus is on developing foundational knowledge, skills and mindset teachers need to be successful in the classroom,” said Siddharth Rajan, associate, Development and Communications, Peepul.

Systemic impact

The group added that over the next 2-3 years, they will work towards creating a systemic impact in corporation schools within Delhi by working with approximately 250 government teachers each year, thereby, impacting close to 10,000 students.

“Through the creation of a resource centre within Lajpat Nagar III, Peepul aims to build capacity in SDMC teachers to become ‘master trainers’ who will not only deliver high-quality education in their own classrooms but also train other teachers in their school and in the wider system,” said Mr. Rajan.

Nine days of training

The teacher training programme comprises nine days of training for every teacher over the year. There are three modules of in-service training — each module being delivered over a span of three days. Each module is delivered at the resource centre over a continuous three-day period (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) for one batch of teachers. The responsibility for teacher identification will lie with the SDMC. The SDMC will allocate teachers for this programme from a cluster of 75 schools to make monitoring and follow up feasible.

“Topics covered in the trainings includes — daily lesson planning, teaching phonics, teaching math using manipulatives, running effective classroom routines and procedures, using behaviour trackers and using academic trackers besides continuously assessing mastery and pupil progress,” noted a press release issued by Peepul.

The programme also gives teachers the opportunity to give immediate feedback to what is being “taught” to them.

“Each day ends with a group discussion and individual feedback for all participants that helps them implement the new ideas and teaching practices in their classroom. All participants will revisit the school once every quarter to receive further training,” said said Mr. Rajan.