Teachers

Investing in Teachers

When it comes to education, we believe the best way to ensure that students receive a quality education is by investing in the teachers leading the charge.

One U.S.-based study found that children placed with high-performing teachers for three consecutive years scored significantly higher on standardized tests than children who had low-performing teachers.

The problem is that long hours and low pay have left many communities without a sufficient number of teachers, especially in the remote areas where we work. In Afghanistan, for example, the Ministry of Education’s strategic plan calls for one teacher for every 54 students — a ratio that is not conducive for individualized learning. In contrast, the U.S. national average public-school student-teacher ratio is approximately 16:1. Additionally, teaching in Central Asia historically focused on memorization, not comprehension. Little or no emphasis was placed on understanding child development or accommodating different learning styles.

Central Asia Institute works to improve the quality of education in Central Asia by enticing bright minds to enter the teaching profession and investing in teachers’ professional development. Not only do we attempt to close the wage gap by paying teacher salaries when government resources are stretched thin, but we also work to educate teachers themselves. We support teacher trainings in areas covering everything from lesson planning and child development to national curriculum standards and navigating how to involve a child’s parents in their education. We also provide scholarships to teachers to allow them to complete their college degrees.