ISLAMABAD: A significant number of teachers responsible for educating children up to grade 5 have expressed concerns over a newly implemented digital teaching strategy mandated by inexperienced instructors of the National Institute of Excellence in Teacher Education (NIETE).
The NIETE has recently started a training programme to train elementary school teachers of the ICT educational institutions.
The teachers, who possessed decades of extensive experience and expertise in the field of education, expressed frustration over being compelled to adopt methodologies they deem ineffective and detrimental to the educational development of young learners, according to APP.
The focal point of concern lies in the implementation of a teaching approach advocated by the Federal Directorate of Education, which stresses digital solutions facilitated through the NIETE portal. However, teachers argue that this shift towards online materials, digital platforms, and mobile-based instruction fails to meet the needs of young students and is merely a wasteful expenditure of public funds.
The burden of managing a large number of students alongside the technical needs of the new method proved overwhelming for both teachers and students. Technical problems further compounded the challenges, with teachers’ cell phones struggling to cope with the demands of large files and materials.
A teacher at Islamabad Model College for Girls I-10/4 highlighted the inadequacy of the instructors appointed to oversee the transition.
She stressed that the appointed instructors were predominantly young females lacking sufficient experience in elementary education, and fall short in understanding the effective pedagogical techniques and workings of classroom dynamics.
A teacher at a school in sector F-8 said that they are proud of engaging students through hands-on, practical learning experiences, fostering their curiosity and understanding of the world around them.
Digital Platforms Distract Teachers
However, the current teaching style distracts teachers with digital platforms and irrelevant materials, detracting from authentic learning opportunities.
This teaching technique, rather than enhancing the educational process, only added to the chaos, exacerbating existing problems of poor management.
