مولانا مرغوب الرحمن
گزشتہ دنوں کا ایک بڑا مذہبی اور تعلیمی حادثہ، دارالعلوم دیوبند کے مہتمم مولانا مرغوب الرحمن کی وفات ہے، وہ ہمارے بزرگوں کی اس صف میں تھے جو اخلاص، تقویٰ، اﷲیت کی خوبیوں سے آراستہ تھی، اس کے ساتھ تدبیر اور نظم و نسق کی قوت میں بھی وہ ممتاز تھے، ان کی پیرانہ سالی اور امراض جسمانی کو دیکھا جائے تو حیرت ہوتی ہے کہ وہ دارالعلوم جیسے بڑے ادارے کے بارگراں کو کس طرح اٹھائے ہوئے تھے، اﷲ تعالیٰ اعلیٰ علیین میں جگہ دے اب ایسے بزرگوں کا نعم البدل تو کیا بدل بھی مشکل سے ملے گا۔ (جنوری ۲۰۱۱ء)
Objective: In order to provide equal educational opportunities, community school networking is an emerging trend to facilitate inclusion of children with mild-moderate Autism. This quantitative research aims to investigate the effectiveness of community networking for children with Autism from Pakistani lower socio-economic stratum of society.
Study Design: Qualitative Research Design
Study Settings and Participants: Six mild-moderate autistic children were enrolled in three mainstreams schools and a liaison between these schools, and a rehabilitation center located in the same area was created to facilitate inclusion. The researchers interviewed six teachers from mainstream schools, three school administrators and one administrator of rehabilitation regarding the effectiveness of community school networking for children with Autism after eight months of this collaboration.
Data Collection Tool: Data were obtained through semi-structured interviews
Results: All participating administrators and teachers underscored the changes in social and behavioral patterns of autistic children which included an imitation of positive behaviors from peers, acceptance, and awareness as strengths of community school networking model. However, major challenges faced were unacceptability from parents of normal children, learning differences, curriculum modifications, time constraints and dependency on the resource teacher. The administrators and teachers recommended that creating awareness programs for parents of normal children, curriculum modifications and in-house psychologists can further facilitate inclusion of children with disabilities.
Conclusion: It was concluded that community school networking model can assist inclusive education and encourage engagement for all children, including those who are autistic.
Curriculum, to a great extent shapes students' experiences in school. Assessment as a major component of curriculum plays an important role in students' academic life because it not only assesses students learning but also contributes in their learning. Unfortunately, there are many issues in our curriculum, teaching learning and assessment. Almost in all the public and private schools, government prescribed textbooks are the only source of knowledge that are followed religiously, which provides one-sided, limited and outdated knowledge to the learners. Teachers are transmitting knowledge and there is no connection of teaching and learning with learners' daily lives. Moreover, assessment encourages rote learning and tests only knowledge, neglecting other higher order skills. The purpose of this research was to explore the success and challenges of three private schools in Karachi, Pakistan, who have initiated the Aga Khan University- Examination Board (AKU-EB) based portfolio assessment in their schools. The design of the research was a qualitative paradigm case study. One hundred and eleven students from all three schools, along with head teachers, and mathematics teachers of each school participated in this research. Besides students and teachers, one of the AKU-EB officials was the research participant. For data generating, I conducted semi-structured interviews of the teachers, head teachers and AKU-EB official and surveyed the students through a questionnaire. The findings revealed the portfolio assessment minimised teacher centered teaching approaches and promoted students active participation in teaching and learning. Use of reflection, self-assessment, peer assessment, presentation, and a collaborative learning environment in a school were major successes of this project. Stakeholders also a highlighted a few challenges regarding conducting and assessing group work, self – and peer - assessment. Stakeholders also faced challenges because of limited time available for the projects and ambiguity in the instructions for some projects.