Pune: Fifty teachers and education officials from Pune Zilla Parishad schools will travel to Singapore during the Diwali vacation (Nov 15-23) under the Global Guruji initiative to gain exposure to international teaching practices, technology-enabled learning and innovative school management systems. The final list will be announced on Teachers’ Day (Sept 5).With a budget of Rs 3.5 crore, ZP chief executive officer Gajanan Patil said the initiative was intended to strengthen classroom learning. “It will allow teachers to closely observe proven education practices, understand the use of technology and innovative teaching methods, and learn effective school management. After returning, they will be expected to share these learnings with other schools,” Patil said.The selection process drew strong participation. Of 1,212 eligible teachers, as many as 1,025 appeared for an online examination on Aug 9. Based on merit, 136 teachers and centre heads were shortlisted for interviews conducted by an expert panel from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. The final delegation will comprise 45 teachers, three centre heads, one extension officer, one block education officer and one representative from the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET).Teachers said the programme offered an opportunity to gain practical insights from a different education system. “We hope to understand methods that can be adapted to our schools rather than simply replicate the Singapore model,” ZP teacher Vasudev Dhere, who took part in the selection process, said.Another teacher, Rohini Bari, said exposure to international classrooms would provide a fresh perspective. “I would like to bring back ideas that can be implemented even in schools with limited resources,” she said.Teachers who do not make the final Singapore delegation but perform well in the selection process will be offered exposure visits to successful education models in Karnataka, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh.
