US constructing Three Education Buildings for Sindh
Hyderabad :July 11: US Consul General in Karachi, Michael Dodman and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director, Gregory Gottlieb joined Commissioner Hyderabad Jamal Mustafa Syed to launch the construction of three US-funded faculty of education buildings at universities across Sindh. These state-of-the-art buildings are being constructed at Shah Abdul Latif University in Khairpur, University of Karachi, and the University of Sindh in Hyderabad.
Emphasizing the long-term commitment of the U.S. government to improving education in Pakistan, U.S. Consul General Dodman said, “These three new buildings will serve as a milestone in the cooperation between the United States and Pakistan for improving the teaching profession. By better preparing teachers, we are ensuring a better future for the children of Pakistan. The ground breaking today here at the University of Sindh is ceremonial and the construction is already happening at the other two campuses.”
Over the next two years, USAID will provide $40 million for the construction of 16 new faculties of education buildings throughout Pakistan. All the newly constructed buildings will be modern, eco-friendly, equipped with Wi-Fi, and media libraries. More than 2,500 students and 200 faculty members will use them every year.
These new buildings will be used for two new teacher education programs that USAID and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan designed in 2010: a two-year Associate Degree in Education (ADE) and a four-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed. Honors). USAID is working with 110 universities and teacher training colleges across Pakistan to initiate these programs. Additionally, USAID cooperates with the government at various levels to improve policies and planning to address the need for qualified teachers.
Commissioner Hyderabad Jamal Mustafa Syed acknowledged the U.S. contributions. “I am confident that a fundamental and far-reaching change has come in teacher education with the new degree programs introduced with USAID support and better-equipped universities and colleges through our partnership with U.S. government. Today’s ground-breaking of new faculty of education buildings at three of our best universities is a testimony of our continued efforts and commitment to the improvement of education in our province.”
The construction of new facilities is part of a comprehensive U.S. education assistance program for Pakistan. Since 2009, the United States has rebuilt or rehabilitated more than 600 schools; sponsored 10,000 university scholarships and training for 12,000 teachers; and expanded English skills for more than 5,000 low-income students.The news.
