Daily Times

The City School Group and the School of Teacher Education, Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), UK signed an MoU to announce their strategic partnership on the rising demand for high-standard and affordable teacher training opportunities.

World leaders in education see a huge potential in demand for professionally trained teachers in Pakistan, as the education industry is expected to expand in the coming years. This will create a great demand for trained professionals who can deliver academic excellence for private and public sector schools.

The City School Group is one of Pakistan’s largest education networks. Today, with a presence in 49 cities and more than 150 campuses, The City School Group through its Centre for Educational Professional Development (CEPD) extensively trained over 5000 teachers within its network.

Canterbury Christ Church University, UK is globally recognised for its teacher training college and ranks in the Top 20 in the UK for Qualified Teaching Staff (HESA 2017/18). The institute is also the winner of the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Award for International Impact in 2018.

The collaboration will lead to the launch of the Postgraduate Certificate International (PGCEi) with a commitment to empowering classroom practitioners and senior school leadership with diverse perspectives and experiences in research, policy and practice in education. In an online launch ceremony marking the beginning of this historic partnership, the attendees included Mr Mike Nithavrianakis, His Excellency British Deputy High Commissioner Karachi, Mr Aurangzeb Firoz, Board of Directors, The City School Network, Professor Rama Thirunamachandran, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Canterbury Christ Church University.

British Deputy High Commissioner & UK Trade Director for Pakistan – Mike Nithavrianakis remarked, “Educational partnerships between Pakistan and the UK continue to go from strength to strength. This is another great example of how Pakistan’s ambitions can be aligned with UK expertise. We are delighted to see another UK University stepping into this exciting market with a strong partner.”

Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Simon Penney, states: “The partnership between the UK’s Canterbury Christ Church University and The City School in Pakistan is testament to the strong relationship between Pakistan and the UK in education. The UK is proud to support Pakistan’s bid to deliver quality teacher training programmes in the country and accelerate its transformation into a knowledge-based economy.”

“Canterbury Christ Church University enjoys an excellent reputation in its Teacher Education nationally and internationally. We are delighted to partner with The City School Network in bringing the PGCEi to Pakistan. Together we aim to provide all participating teachers with a unique opportunity to elevate their professional skills and encourage innovation in practice.