How to raise the number of qualified teachers in Pakistan

In the next few years, there is a need to provide an additional 2.1 million teachers in South Asia. There are a number of ways that this can be done. Implementing the nine proposals below would in fact increase the number of teachers without sacrificing the quality of education in primary schools in Pakistan and across South Asia.
First of all, in teacher training colleges, double shifts can be introduced and more teacher training institutes can be established. Also, if incoming teachers have a higher general academic level, the time allocated for their pre-service training can be reduced and can replaced with alternative opportunities for training.
There can also be conversion courses put in place which transfer teachers to subjects where there is a shortage of trained teachers.In addition, primary education can be offered as a vocational course in universities with a degree awarded on completion of the program.
Second, primary school teachers' minimum level of general academic education should be raised so that they will have at least the minimum required level of subject knowledge.
Generally speaking, primary teachers should be required to complete 12 years of general education prior to their initial training. Currently, the minimum number of years of general education needed before teacher training can begin varies across South Asia from nine to 12 years.
The only exception to this might be in the case of women entering the field of teaching from rural areas, where there is a severe shortage of female teachers and no suitable candidates can be found.
Third, the curriculum in teacher training courses must be revised to impart proper teaching methods, not the current emphasis in classrooms of more time, more subjects and more courses.
A recent study conducted in Pakistan identified the key weaknesses of primary school teachers. They rarely use systematic logical sequences in teaching; do not organize available time for teaching to maximize time students spend on a task and they do not reinforce learning through feedback. They also give hardly any opportunities to children to develop into independent learners. Teachers must learn diverse ways of teaching and managing the classroom.
Fourth, pre-service teacher education must be practical and should focus on imparting to teachers the art of teaching in an actual classrooms rather than studying textbook theories in training colleges. In addition, on the job teacher training must use this method as well.
Fifth, primary school teachers must be given more respect and prestige financially and socially. Practically speaking, this means increasing teacher salaries, improving work conditions and creating better opportunities for advancement for primary school teachers on the basis of class performance rather than seniority, by creating positions for motivated primary teachers within the primary school system rather than within secondary schools and establishing more openings for primary teachers as principals, district monitors and teacher trainers.
Sixth, more female teachers. There is happening slowly. In Pakistan, 47 percent of new graduates are female, though the ratios are as low as 14 and 25 percent in the provinces of Balochistan and the NWFP respectively. In addition, many of these graduates are the product of special 'crash program' units attached to middle schools where the quality of training is often not very high
As mentioned above, recruiting more female teachers may mean lowering entry standards for female primary school teachers temporarily. This must be combined with intense in-service training.
Ameliorating school facilities and working conditions in rural areas would also encourage female teachers to take up jobs in such areas.
A further incentive for female teachers could exist if the issue of harassment is addressed. Anecdotal evidence indicates that female teachers in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan are harassed by senior teachers, principals, district-level monitoring staff and educational supervisors.
Seven, the local community must, as much as possible, hire teachers from their area. There are two advantages to this. The first is that it reduces the risk of teacher absenteeism, since teachers will not be posted to places where they do not live. Second, the local community is more attuned to the strengths and weaknesses of the teachers they recruit.
Eighth, giving the local community more control over teacher selection can also raise teacher quality. Concerned and aware parents are one of the most crucial tools in making sure that teachers do their job. This is because unlike outside bodies to which teachers may be accountable (i.e. education monitoring teams or school inspectors), parents have a vested interest in ensuring their children are taught by good teachers and their involvement often leads to better quality teaching.
Finally, governments can build partnerships with NGOs and other civil society organizations that have successfully provided primary teacher training to avoid reinventing the wheel while supporting such initiatives for the benefit of Pakistan's children and future.