Learning Support Unit(LSU)1) Profile:

Learning Support Unit (LSU) is one of the most integral unit in Sindh Education Foundation, which plays a vital role in the execution of training for the school teachers of SEF under different programs. The core responsibilities of the unit carry from manual/resource development to on field teacher trainings and not just this but also participating, collaborating and representing the unit in general and SEF in particular at different educational platforms. More importantly to sum up in a nut shell the unit’s programmatic work depicts;

Works as the academic Unit of Sindh Education Foundation Hub of learning and capacity building activities Rich educational experience in working at the grass roots and with the teachers

2) Objectives of the Unit:

Following are considered to be the likely objectives for which the unit strives to achieve as a team in the most effective and efficient manners;

To develop need based and contextualized teaching and learning aids/resources

To provide field based academic support to SEF schools

To build the professional capacities of SEF school teachers and stake holders

To review the educational literature with respect to content enhancement and curriculum

enrichment

3) LSU Portfolio: Design, development and implementation of comprehensive professional development programs for SEF projects as;

Promoting Private Schooling in Rural Sindh

(PPRS)

Early Learning Program (ELP)

Rural Based Community Schools

Children Development Center (CDC)

Women Literacy & Empowerment Program

(WLEP)

Adopt-A-School Program (AASP)

Intergrated Education Learning Program (IELP)

External Clients

4) Methodologies Involved:

The following are considered as the methodologies/practices involved in the professional development trainings for the teachers of SEF under different programs;

Reflective practices rather than imposing our own ideas

Welcoming prior knowledge in building further and new capacities

Implementation the cascading method of involving teachers in the teaching-learning

process which they will adopt in their classrooms

Sharing different exposures of teachers and their success stories

5) Academic Activities at LSU

a) Resource Development Making teaching and learning process a more interactive, interesting & exploratory

Converting content into a more understandable form to make it easily digestible

Involving teachers and children in self-learning process rather than directed process

Developing an overall environment conducive for learning

b) Manual Development A repository of modules in Sindhi language

Modules which function as a Guide for the teachers’ reference

Balanced content: text & illustrations, to make them more readable and self-explanatory

A rich bank of specialized classroom activities

Compilation of ‘Guidelines’ for the Management of Schools

c) Field Based Support for SEF Schools Providing classroom level support to teachers

Assisting teachers in overcoming contextual challenges of teaching-learning process

Mentoring teachers for self-improvement

d) Workbooks Development

LSU had been involved dedicatedly in the development of workbooks for ECE- Grade 8

covering the subjects of English, Mathematics, Science & Social Studies. The first phase

the workbooks was produced by the team for ECE till Grade 5 only. In the second phase

team is working for the completion of workbooks from Grade 6 – 8. Workbooks of the

first phase had been distributed in many schools of SEF in different districts. Each learner

carry a single set of workbook with him/her which will enable them to learn better with

more practice and understanding.

e) Academic Administration at LSU

LSU admin performs diverse tasks in the implementation of the trainings in line with the

requirement of the unit which involves;

Coordinate with Administration Unit (HO), Finance, Procurement, HR, IT for day-to-day

and activity based (mock, trainings, FSV) tasks

Vehicle requests, arrangements at venues etc.

Facilitate in preparation and submission of Advance Requisitions (ARs), Statement of

Expenditures (SoEs)

Facilitate SEF Program teams in preparation of Activity Budgets (Mock, Trainings, FSV)

Provide input for admin related tasks in Concept Note preparation

Maintain records of correspondence (both internal and external) e.g. Memos, Letters,

Office orders etc.

Facilitate SEF Finance & Admin in Audits

f) Academic Data Management

With such a huge number of training and development activities there is a large inflow of

data. For this reason, the new data bank segment of the LSU is responsible for;

Developing qualitative and quantitative reports (including consolidated reports for

trainings and academic activities, Quarterly progress reports)

Training Analysis

Activity Presentation

Managing teachers’ data

Updating the training grid

Coordination with Karachi & Regional teams

Sorting and organizing of data (Files and soft record for teacher profiles, attendance

record, pre-& posttest papers) as a part of post activity training procedure

6) Recent Hierarchy of LSU