The primary purpose of this study was to understand how teachers develop and work as agents of change. The particular aim was to understand the impact of SST program on teachers' classroom practices. An attempt has been made to explore how extensive in-service teacher development programs have an impact on teachers' classroom practices. The study documents the cases of two secondary teachers (who have attended the SST program) from two different contexts (government and private schools). The research draws on qualitative data from sources such as semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and document analysis. The teachers (SSTs), head teachers, fellow teachers, SSTs' students, the course coordinator, and the PDT who was involved in the SST program were interviewed. A number of lessons of both the teachers (SSTs) were observed. Although the study is based on the analysis of only two cases, it provides some insight into the process of teacher development. The SST program has a great impact on teachers' classroom practices. Positive changes were noted in SSTs' classroom practices. However, there is still need for further AKU-IED based support. Moreover, it is necessary to build a school culture and structure that is conducive for the sustainability of the innovation. The study suggests that a professionally trained teacher cannot bring change without a support system. The study also revealed that there was a lesser impact on government school teacher's classroom practices, as compared to the private school teacher, because of a number of factors. In brief, this study reveals that any professional development is not an isolated station in an individual's intellectual journey, but rather a gradual process. The study has also made some recommendations for the schools and for AKU- IED for the improvement of teacher education programs.
روشن امکانات کی شاعرہ: فضا موسیٰ ڈاکٹر رحمت علی شادؔ ہجر اثاثہ رہ جائے گا درد خلاصہ رہ جائے گا شعر نگر میں نام ہمارا اچھا خاصا رہ جائے گا شہرِ فرید میں جنم لینے والی ایک نو عمر، دوسروں سے ذرا ہٹ کر سوچنے والی، عام لوگوں سے قدرے مختلف مگر سنجیدہ، ہونہار، باشعور اور روشن امکانات کی ابھرتی ہوئی شاعرہ فضاؔ موسیٰ پاک پتن کی شعری فضا میں ایک خوش گوار اور کیف پرور جھونکے سے کسی طرح کم نہیں ان کا تازہ شعری مجموعہ’’ فضا سے کہنا‘‘ منصہ شہود پر آنے کے لیے بے قرار ہے۔ ان کا کلام پڑھنے کے بعد راقم اس نتیجے پر پہنچا ہے کہ ان کی غزلیات کے کچھ مصرعے اور اشعار اپنے تیکھے پن، ندرتِ خیال، پختگی فکر ، داخلیت اور خارجیت سے بھرپور رومانوی انداز لیے چونکا دینے کے ساتھ ساتھ دعوتِ فکر دیتے ہوئے نظر آتے ہیں۔ فضاؔ موسیٰ عہدِ جدید کی ایک منفرد لب و لہجے کی حامل شاعرہ ہیں جنھوں نے بالکل تھوڑے عرصے میں اپنی ذہنی اپج سے پاک پتن کی ادبی فضا میں اپنی نمایاں انفرادیت اور اپنا شعری تشخص قائم کیا ہے۔رومانوی فضائوں میں فضا کی شاعری عشق و محبت کی داستان لیے اپنی تمام تر رعنائیوں اور لوازمات کے ساتھ جلوہ گر ہے۔ ان کی غزلیات میں محبت کے مختلف رنگ جا بجا بکھرے نظر آتے ہیں، کبھی کبھی یوں محسوس ہوتا ہے کہ وہ زندگی کے کئی رازوں سے آشنا ہیں اور اس طرح وہ اپنے باطنی احساسات و جذبات کو حقیقت کا روپ دینے پر قادر نظر آتی ہیں۔ عشق و محبت کے کئی کئی رنگ ان کے کلام کا جزو لا ینفک ہیں۔ محبت اور محبت کے رنگوں کے متعلق وہ لکھتی ہیں: جینے کا سامان محبت گر بخشے مسکان محبت ساتوں رنگ ہیں اس دنیا...
Contact tracing is done to interrupt the spread or transmission of the causative agent to others who are in close contact with the index case and are vulnerable by not being immune. Public health experts have relied on contact tracing to reduce the spread of infections throughout history. Now the same method is being used for COVID 19. The healthcare systems in developing countries are ill-equipped to respond to pandemics of this kind. Our healthcare facility effectively employed the traditional contact tracing tool that formed the basis of a strong support system for all those employees who contracted Corona virus infection.
Contamination of different environmental compartments through persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is one of the most impending threats globally. The present study aims to investigate the first systematic data on the levels, distribution, possible sources and air-soil exchange fluxes of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including organochlorine pesticide (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs) and dechloran plus (DP) in the air, surface soil and sediment samples from agricultural and industrial areas of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The present study was conducted in the catchment area of River Ravi from Punjab Province which is the most populated province of Pakistan with a population >90 millions; approximately 56 % of the total population of the country. Surface soils and air samples were taken from ten (10) sampling stations in Punjab Province, while seven (7) sampling stations were selected on the River Ravi to collect surface sediments. Air concentrations of POPs were estimated by using the polyurethane foam passive air sampling (PUF-PAS) technique. Air–soil exchange of POPs was estimated by calculating the fugacities in soil and air samples. Concentrations of ΣOCPs and ΣPCBs were ranged from 121-705 pg m-3 and 35-389 pg m-3 for air samples, 24.6-248 ng g-1 and 6.7-45 ng g-1 for soils and 2.7 to 99 ng g-1 and 4.6 to 424 ng g-1 for sediments, respectively. DDTs and HCHs were dominant OCPs in all air, soils and sediments while among PCBs, tri-, tetra- and penta-CBs was frequently detected homologues. Comparison of OCPs and PCBs concentrations with available sediment guidelines indicated severe contamination of DDTs and PCBs in the study area. Different indicative ratios for organochlorine residues in both soils and sediments suggested current use, long range transport along with past application of these chemicals to the total burden. WHO-TEQ values of dioxin like Σ10PCBs for soil samples obtained were very high and met the limitations, recommended by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). Levels of ΣPBDEs and DPs ranged from 8.2-124.7 and 1.5-529 pg m-3 for air, 0.6-501 and 0.1-15 ng g-1 for soil and 1.0-2599 and 0.3-4.7 ng g-1 for sediment samples, respectively. BDE-209 was the most abundant PBDE congener, indicating that deca-BDE accounts for most of the total PBDE emitted in the environment of the Punjab Province. The lower average fractions of anti-DP showed significant differences to those of the technical mixtures, indicating lack of DP production source in Pakistan. In general, POPs level in the current study were found lower and/or within the range of other studies reported throughout the world. Conversely, OCPs and PCBs concentrations in riverine sediments were found much higher than previously reported in Pakistan. Air–soil exchange of POPs was estimated by calculating the fugacities in soil and air samples. In the present study, fugacity fractions (ff) values suggested that soils are acting as a secondary source of DDTs to contaminate the atmosphere at certain sampling stations while other areas showed equilibrium and/or atmospheric deposition status. By our results, it is concluded that globally banned organic pollutants are still used/emitted in the catchment area of River Ravi. Our findings also drew attention that elevated levels of DDTs, HCHs, PCBs (tri- and tetra-), and BDE-209 in the study area must be considered as an important environmental issue and steps should be taken to control excessive discharge of organic pollutants in the local environment. The current study also encouraged to conduct more detailed studies to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of these contaminants in the environment of Pakistan.