Interested in attending a workshop at TRC? View the Schedule for 2008-2009

When TRC was first founded in 1986, our primary concern was the complete lack of professional development options available to teachers in Pakistan. At that time, many were blaming the lamentable state of education on the teachers themselves. We understood, however, that teachers were often enduring poor working conditions, negligible salaries, and next to no respect for their profession. We based our Workshop Programme on our strong belief that the fundamental quality of a child’s education can best be improved by inspiring teachers and helping change their perception of the learning process. We worked hard to help teachers to recognise themselves not only as teachers, but also as life-long learners. The response was overwhelming. Teachers’ enthusiasm was contagious, as they often reported returning to their schools and helping other teachers implement new classroom techniques. In subsequent years, we became a pioneer in teacher training in the private sector, and based on these same core-concepts, we are still an acknowledged leader in the field.

We offer a wide range of workshops for our members and for donor-supported projects, in Karachi and throughout the country. We provide for the educational and training needs of teachers from pre-primary through to secondary levels, as well as for managers, coordinators and heads of public and private schools. Those who are unable to pay workshop fees are assisted through project funds, sponsorships, or by TRC itself. Although teachers form the majority of participants, our workshops also welcome a wide range of others, including: parents, education programme officers and managers, librarians, training coordinators, trainers, field evaluators and learning coordinators.

Our workshops focus on traditional school subjects and pedagogy, as well as on important issues such as classroom management, creative arts, the environment, media violence, and gender equality. All workshops are activity-based so that participants can learn-by-doing and engage in critical thinking. Above all, we have never forgotten our original mission: to encourage participants to understand that they are the frontline of education; they can single-handedly make a difference in a child’s life.

In addition to our diverse, topical multi-school workshops, we also provide school-focussed workshops. In these cases, TRC staff works with a school directly and tailors a series of workshops to their particular situation. Because the workshops are structured for the school’s needs, and include comprehensive follow-up, observation, mentoring and evaluation, they are an extremely positive experience for all involved.