British Council Awards Leadership Excellence to Pakistani Headteachers

Islamabad - 1 July 2024 (Adnan Hameed): The British Council recently hosted the School Leadership Excellence Awards in Multan, Islamabad, and Peshawar to recognize the achievements of 423 exceptional headteachers from Federal, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions. These headteachers were celebrated for their commitment to enhancing leadership empowerment, promoting good governance, fostering inclusive leadership, and driving instructional excellence in their schools. Prominent attendees included Mr. Faisal Khan Tarakai, Minister of Elementary and Secondary Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Mr. Tanwir Ahmed, Director General of the Federal Directorate of Education; Dr. Ubaid Ullah, Education Secretary South Punjab; Mr. Mahesh Ahuja, Director General of Education, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation; along with the British Council team. James Hampson, Country Director of the British Council in Pakistan, stated, "Our Schools Connect Leadership programme for headteachers is designed to improve school governance and enhance quality, access, engagement, and learning. We focus on building the capacity of headteachers to create a more inclusive and enabling environment for quality education in Pakistan. Congratulations to all the headteachers who participated and earned the School Leadership Excellence Award.". Mr. Faisal Khan Tarakai added, "Our collaboration with the British Council has empowered some of our school heads with the skills needed to lead their schools towards excellence. This partnership underscores the importance of international connections in enriching our educational landscape, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.". Through the Schools Connect programme, headteachers completed professional development around the national school headteacher standards, emphasizing instructional leadership and school management. The partnership between the British Council and Federal and provincial governments has significantly enriched the educational landscape and inspired school heads to lead educational reform. Despite many challenges, 131 headteachers from the seven Merged Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated, with 84% being female. These headteachers developed instructional leadership skills through school-based projects, resulting in 39 award winners from the Merged Districts. The British Council Schools Connect programme aims to develop and reform the school system for quality and inclusion. It connects Pakistan with UK expertise on key educational themes through policy dialogue, advocacy, and technical assistance, supporting inclusive and quality education for all learners, including girls and marginalized children. In collaboration with Education Ministries, the British Council introduced Leadership Standards for Head Teachers, a first in Pakistan. A scoping study with Federal and provincial practitioners and UK experts recommended these standards, focusing on five key areas essential for effective school leadership. These standards empower headteachers to lead their schools into the future, effectively manage teaching and learning, develop staff, organize schools efficiently, and lead meaningfully within their communities. The Leadership Excellence Award ceremony celebrated the achievements of headteachers in collaboration with Federal, South Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government partners, including the Federal Directorate of Education, Secondary Education Department, Directorate of Professional Development of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. Out of 1,500 headteachers, 423 competed and won the prestigious award. The British Council’s technical assistance also aims to empower parent-teacher councils in KP and school councils in Punjab to address educational challenges and promote inclusivity, ensuring better governance, community engagement, and support for girls' education and marginalized students.