Sindh government awards teaching license to 646 teachers across Sindh

SIBA Testing Services (STS) has officially announced the results of the Teaching License Test, which was held on January 28, 2024, under the recently approved Sindh Teaching License Policy 2023. 4000 B.Ed. or M.Ed./ M.A. qualified teachers (from both government and private sector) took the test, of which 646 have cleared the test and have secured an Elementary (Class 1-8) Teaching License. The test contained 2 sections- 40 marks were dedicated to assessing candidates’ content knowledge via Multiple Choice Questions; and 60 marks were dedicated to assessing pedagogical content knowledge via Constructed Response Questions (descriptive questions). Candidates were required to obtain at least 20 out of 40 marks in the Content Knowledge section AND ALSO at least 30 out of 60 marks in the Pedagogical Content Knowledge section, to clear the test. The goal of setting separate passing heads in each section was to ensure that licensed teachers have mastery over both the content and how to teach that content to elementary school students. In this statement, the Sindh Education Minister, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, reaffirms his dedication to advancing education in Sindh: “As we celebrate the success of our teachers in obtaining their teaching licenses, I am reminded of the pivotal role they play in shaping the future of our nation. This achievement underscores our collective commitment to providing our students with the highest standards of education. He added. He pledged to continue working tirelessly alongside educators, stakeholders, and partners to implement initiatives that further enhance the quality of education in Sindh. Together, we will strive to create an inclusive and innovative learning environment that empowers our students to excel and thrive in an ever-changing world. Syed Sardar Ali Shah further added that The Sindh government will continue its serious efforts to take all necessary steps for formulating policies and implementing them. The cooperation from the private sector in government initiatives is evidence that we are united towards a common goal. Around 3023 in-service government teachers took this test, of which 445 teachers passed (14.7%), while of the 977 private sector candidates took this test, 201 passed (20.6%). Government teachers, who have secured this license, will be eligible for promotion into BPS-16 teaching posts while successful candidates from the private sector will be eligible for appointment to BPS-16 posts, subject to Sindh Public Service Commission rules. Furthermore, the Sindh Education Department is considering an additional professional allowance for senior government teachers, who are already at BPS-16 and higher, and have secured a teaching license. To accommodate the newly licensed teachers, the Government of Sindh has approved the creation of 700 new Elementary School Teachers posts (eligible to teach grades 1-8) at BPS-16. Previously, Junior Elementary School Teachers (JEST) were being inducted at BPS-14 and were required to have completed graduation in any field. These new 700 vacancies will be reserved for only licensed Elementary School Teachers. Karachi region had the highest passing percentage in the in-service government teacher category at 31% (95 candidates passed out of 305), followed by Hyderabad region at 16% (49 passed out of 301) and Sukkur region at 15% (107 passed out of 706). Karachi region also had the highest passing percentage in the private sector teacher category at 53% (79 passed out of 150), followed by Sukkur region at 26% (59 passed out of 228) and Larkana region at 16% (44 passed out of 271). Sukkur region had the highest total number of passing government teachers at 107, followed by Karachi region with 95 passing government teachers and Larkana region with 91 passing teachers. Karachi region had the highest number of passing private sector candidates at 79, followed by Sukkur region at 59 and Larkana region at 44. Overall, Karachi, Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Banbhore regions produced 174, 166, 135, 69, 58, and 38 and 6 successful candidates, respectively. In the in-service government teacher category, the average age of passing candidates was 34; while in the private sector teacher category, the average age of passing candidates was 27. The passing rate for men was 11% (217 passed out of 2006) in the in-service teacher category, while for women it was 22% (228 passed out of 1017). In the private sector teacher category, the passing rate for men was 12% (52 passed out of 435) while for women it was 27% (149 passed out of 542). In both categories, the average score of women and men who passed was similar at 60 out of 100 marks. Of the 646 qualifying candidates, 31 scored between 70 and 80 marks (out of 100), 258 scored between 60 and 70 and 357 scored between 50 and 60 marks. The Result is also uploaded on the STS website. Candidates who have not cleared the licensing test will be eligible to re-sit the test next year. Furthermore, the Sindh Teacher Education Development Authority (STEDA) is already planning to expand the licensing regime next year to include other license categories such as the Primary and Secondary Teaching Licenses. This teaching licensing initiative is an example of the good work that results from a strong vision, political continuity and partnerships between the public and private sector. Founder and president of Zindagi Trust, and education activist Shahzad Roy explained that “The current Sindh Minister of Education, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, has played an instrumental role in every stage of this licensing initiative- from his vision in conceptualizing the policy to its approval in the Sindh Cabinet to now its execution with a third party- IBA Sukkur Sindh Testing Services. This teaching licensing initiative marks a new era in Pakistan’s education system. By establishing a licensing system, the Sindh Government has acknowledged that teaching is a profession with its own body of knowledge and skills, no less than any other skill-based profession such as medicine, accounting, law or engineering. These licensed teachers will raise the overall status of the profession and will set the bar for the quality of graduates that all teacher education institutions need to be producing.”