DIL News 2008 - Winter

Best Practice Curriculum Now Implemented in DIL Schools

In an ongoing effort to improve the quality of education, DIL is investing heavily in developing its own curriculum and materials. Our goal is to create an education program based on the best practices used throughout the world. The initiative began in early 2007 when DIL consulted with literacy specialists, teachers and education experts to help design the program and hired a program manager to oversee the project.

After a period of testing and assessment, the curriculum was introduced into the classrooms in September 2007. Teachers are now using activities and other student-centered learning strategies in their classes and are seeing great successes with their students. This is an important shift from the tradition of rote memorization that is often used in classrooms throughout Pakistan.

In December, program manager Annie Kates traveled to Pakistan to evaluate the program, assess its efficacy and see firsthand the impact of the new curriculum. “The students showed remarkable improvements in both their skills and overall attitude and confidence,” Kates said.

The program has not only been successful in helping the children learn, but has also provided the teachers with a resource to assist them in improving their own skills and ability to teach more effectively. The teachers are excited to use this curriculum, knowing that their input has been incorporated into the final product. This type of ‘buy-in’ is critical for assuring sustainability in the future.

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