Directorate of School Education, Jammu in collaboration with Bharti Airtel Foundation

Directorate of School Education, Jammu in collaboration with Bharti Airtel Foundation supported 34,000+ teachers from 7,000+ Government schools through ‘Professional Development Initiative for Teachers’

9 August 2024, Jammu: In a notable effort to strengthen the quality of education and teaching methods in Jammu schools, Directorate of School Education, Jammu and the Bharti Airtel Foundation collaborated to introduce ‘Professional Development Initiative for Teachers’ on May 14, 2024. Through this initiative, the Foundation supported in enhancing teachers’ skills in Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), Pedagogical Techniques, and Classroom Management Techniques.

This initiative through TheTeacherApp, supported teachers with comprehensive teaching materials and technology-integrated strategies for effective classroom engagement. Over 34,000+ teachers from 7,000+ schools have engaged in workshops, webinars, quizzes, self-paced courses and assessments to enhance their teaching skills. The teachers’ active participation and notable time spent on the app reflects the success of continuous professional development through the initiative.

Poonch, Kishtwar and Udhampur districts of Jammu Division were awarded the best districts for their outstanding performance in the professional development program for teachers. Additionally, Chief Education Officer and District Nodal Officers were recognized for their efforts towards successfully implementing good practices curated for the initiative in the schools of Jammu division.

On this occasion, Sh. Ashok Kumar Sharma – Director, Directorate of School Education, Jammu, appreciated the joint initiative and efforts made by the teachers and officials from the Education Department and Bharti Airtel Foundation to make it a success. Sh. Ashok Sharma said that he would want to see this partnership growing in future towards building the capacity of teachers in Jammu.

Feedback from teachers on the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive, with 88% showing eagerness to attend more learning sessions on TheTeacherApp and 93% rated the webinars on the app as excellent.

Appreciating Directorate of School Education, Jammu, and all the partners in this valuable collaboration, Ms. Mamta Saikia, CEO – Bharti Airtel Foundation said, “For the last 25 years, the Bharti Airtel Foundation has committed itself to enhancing education in rural India. We extend our gratitude to Directorate of School Education, Jammu, and all collaborators in this meaningful alliance for the continuous professional development of teachers. Our goal is to collaborate, sharing knowledge and best practices, to empower teachers to play an active role in their own learning journey as well as support them in uplifting their schools through innovative teaching practices.”

Sh. Ashok Kumar Sharma – Director, Ms. Subah Mehta – Joint Director, Ms. Maneesha – Personnel Officer and Sh. J.R. Padha – Chief Education Officer from Directorate of School Education, Jammu along with Ms. Mamta Saikia, CEO – Bharti Airtel Foundation, Mr. Binu Nair – Chief Program Operations, Mr. Anil Bhat – Regional Head and Mr. Amit Taneja – Technology Lead, TheTeacherApp from the Foundation graced the ceremony.

Way Forward:
Building on the success of the DSEJ Teachers’ Program, TheTeacherApp (TAPP) is excited to announce the next phase of this transformative partnership, which will focus on establishing learning communities to sustain momentum and support continuous professional development for teachers. An advanced version of TheTeacherApp is set to launch in September 2024, featuring continued opportunities for teachers and enhanced features designed to deepen teacher engagement and professional development through collaborative and innovative approaches. The DSEJ Teachers’ Program has laid a strong foundation for enhancing pedagogical skills and integrating educational technology, and the next phase aims to drive sustained improvements in education quality and teacher effectiveness through advanced training and supportive learning communities.