Teacher licensing policy wins int'l recognition, attracts interest from six countries

The Government of Sindh's Teacher Licensing Policy has received international recognition, with representatives from six countries expressing interest in learning from Sindh's experience to strengthen teachers' professional development, improve teaching standards and enhance education systems. Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah described the development as a major achievement, saying that Sindh's Teacher Licensing Policy reflects Pakistan's leadership in introducing reforms in the field of education and teaching. He said the province's experience could help pave the way for developing countries to improve educational standards and strengthen teachers' professional capacity. A Sindh delegation, led by Executive Director of the Sindh Teachers Education Development Authority (STEDA), Syed Rasool Bux Shah, represented the School Education and Literacy Department, Government of Sindh, at the DHIS2 Asia Pacific Conference 2026, held this month in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The conference was organised by HISP Asia in collaboration with the GPE-KIX EMAP Hub and brought together government representatives, education experts, researchers and development partners from Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Tunisia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. During the conference, the Sindh Government's Teacher Licensing Policy and its implementation through STEDA were highlighted. The initiative aims to strengthen teaching as a profession, improve teachers' standards and promote effective systems for assessing and enhancing quality in teacher education. Ms Rasha Sharf, Secretary General of the Education Development Fund (EDF) and Knowledge Lead for South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa at the KIX-EMAP Hub, appreciated Sindh's Teacher Licensing initiative. She said that bringing representatives from six countries together on a common platform to learn from Sindh's experience was a positive development. She noted that Sindh had taken a leading role in the region by proposing teacher licensing and making practical progress towards its implementation. Rasha Sharf also emphasised that Sindh's experience offered valuable guidance to other countries on addressing administrative challenges, teachers' concerns and responses during the implementation of teacher licensing. The importance of effective government and public communication regarding the policy was also highlighted. She thanked the Sindh team and the GPE-KIX EMAP Hub for facilitating this exchange of knowledge and bringing representatives from different countries together. Drawing on Sindh's experience, representatives of participating countries, the Federal Government of Pakistan and other provincial governments are expected to present their respective teacher licensing plans in January 2027. This activity will form part of the broader KIX initiative to promote knowledge exchange and education reforms. Commenting on the development, Provincial Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah said that the implementation of the Teacher Licensing Policy in Sindh was the result of the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government's serious efforts and the cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders associated with the education sector. He said the initiative had paved the way for strengthening teachers' professional development and improving teaching standards across the province. The conference also discussed how improvements in teachers' professional competencies and teaching standards could positively influence students' academic performance and contribute to overall educational development.