Staff Reporter
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Tuesday distributed six computer tablets among the 6 high achiever students of Teachers’ Education Department, University of Karachi (UoK). The computer tablets were distributed through USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project in a ceremony held at KU Vice Chancellor’s Conference Hall, said a statement. The recipients of awards have completed their 4-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) program with flying colors in their respective batches.
KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi chaired the ceremony which was attended by Dean, Faculty of Education, KU, Professor Dr Nasir Sulman, faculty heads and members of several departments, meritorious students and representative of USAID program. KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi along with Anjum Pervaiz of USAID distributed computer tablets among Maria Jawed, Afshan Rafat, Ayesha Yousuf, Kiran, Maleeka Mehmood Anwar and Maria Naz.
Anjum Pervaiz of USAID briefed the participants about the USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project, its objectives and outcome of the project till to date. He told the meeting regarding the project and said that it has supported training of teachers and improved reading instructions in classrooms. Meanwhile, KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi on behalf of the University appreciated the project and expressed his gratitude for providing scholarship to the meritorious students of the department.
Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi mentioned that universities must adopt policies which directly provide benefits its students. He observed that the varsities should be supporting and promoting students and their activities to enhance their skills and creativity. KU Vice Chancellor also expressed that higher educational institutions have the responsibility to prepare the future of the country.
He informed the meeting that faculty of education has proved their worth as not only enrolment of students in the special education and teachers education department has increased but they have also raise the standards of teaching which is reflecting through achievements of their students. He said that Pakistan Reading Project would be beneficial project for students of BEd and teachers. On the occasion, USAID representatives shared that US$165 million project was designed to support provincial and regional departments of education to improve the reading skills of primary school children across the entire country through USAID-funded Pakistan Reading Project.
They said that scholarship of worth Rs16,00,00 for four years in eight installments were provided to each meritorious student of BEd program initially from 2011 and this project would continued till 2014. They mentioned that among the meritorious students, who also received scholarship, these six students were picked as they were the high achievers in their respective batches.
