Islamabad, March 26, 2009 - Ambassador Anne W. Patterson, along with the Ministry of Education and the Higher Education Commission, officially launched the Pre-Service Teacher Education Program (Pre-STEP) in Pakistan here today. This is a $75 million program over five years. USAID, the Ministry of Education, and the Higher Education Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Pre-STEP program.
"The United States Government is fully committed to support the Government of Pakistan in its initiatives to strengthen social sectors such as education. Through education reforms, the United States Government and the Government of Pakistan are working in partnership to create the foundation on which Pakistanis can build more prosperous lives," said US Ambassador Anne Patterson.
The objective of the Pre-STEP program is to improve the quality of basic education in Pakistan through by strengthening teachers' education and skills. The program will directly impact new and practicing teachers by helping them to gain revised and upgraded teacher qualifications.
Pre-STEP will work in partnership with Pakistan's Higher Education Commission and the Ministry of Education to build on existing structures and programs. The program will support 15 universities and 75 teacher colleges as instruments for change of academic standards in teacher education.
"This assistance from the American people to Pakistan is demonstration of our belief that improved educated Pakistan will lead to a stronger, more prosperous Pakistan. We are working with the Government of Pakistan and Pakistani people to accomplish our shared vision of better education in Pakistan," said Ambassador Patterson.
Since 2002, the U.S. Government has provided more than $3.4 billion to Pakistan for improvements in economic growth, education, health, governance, assistance in earthquake reconstruction, and lately for the construction and rehabilitation of health and education infrastructure.