USAID’s BESST (Building Education Support Systems for Teachers) project is working with the Ministry of Education’s Teacher Education Department to plan and establish a program for primary education teachers to study and complete the equivalent of secondary education while they continue teaching.  To prepare for the Accelerated Learning Program for Teachers’ (ALPT’s) roll-out in eleven provinces of Afghanistan, BESST held workshops to train 55 senior trainers from July 27 to August 5. The workshop used practical, hands-on lessons to prepare the senior trainers to train ALPT facilitators.  During the last week of training, thirteen teachers without a secondary school education attended the training to help the senior trainers test the study guides and facilitation techniques by participating in mock ALPT study groups.

The senior trainers then returned to their respective provinces, prepared to train the ALPT facilitators. Once the facilitators are prepared, they will begin tutoring ALPT participants and conducting the ALPT study groups in most districts in the eleven provinces supported by BESST.  Approximately 11,000 teachers have registered and are ready to participate in ALPT.

Beginning in September 2010, ALPT will provide teachers with tutoring, small group study, and subject-area study guides for self-directed study.  Teachers will be continually assessed by taking standardized exams developed by the Ministry of Education for each subject and each grade level.  Passing these exams will certify each participant as having satisfied the academic requirements for entry into Teacher Training Colleges.