The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, under its World Bank-supported project Higher Education Development in Pakistan (HEDP), conducted a nationwide training programme titled ‘Equipping Teachers to Foster Learning Skills in Students’ for teachers of affiliated colleges.

According to HEC report today, the initiative, led by the Postsecondary Education Reform Unit (PERU), aimed to improve teaching and learning quality in resource-constrained institutions by strengthening educators’ ability to develop essential learning skills in students.

The training was developed in collaboration with the National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE). A team of 18 NAHE-approved resource persons and experts, led by Dr. Kashif Suhail Malik, Consultant/Master Trainer at IIUI, trained more than 300 teachers from all provinces and regions of Pakistan.

The programme was conducted in eight cohorts across major cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Bahawalpur, Lahore, and Skardu. The initiative followed the Learning Skills Assessment Test (LSAT), which evaluated first-semester students in affiliated colleges on information management, communication, and problem-solving skills. The test results highlighted gaps in these areas, prompting HEC to introduce targeted teacher training to enhance students’ preparedness for academic challenges.

HEC stated that the initiative aligns with HEDP’s commitment to improving education quality, particularly in decentralized institutions like affiliated colleges. By equipping teachers with modern pedagogical strategies, the programme seeks to bridge skill gaps among students and enhance their academic and professional readiness.

To measure the impact of this training, HEC is planning a second phase of LSAT, scheduled to take place between mid-April and the end of May 2025, to assess student progress and learning outcomes.