This event was part of a series of trainings and rigorous coursework that has been conducted with MPhil students at the School in order to prepare them for the Practicum, a semester-long residency where students are placed at educational organisations to conduct research based on their specific interests as well as look at particular challenges that the organisation is facing. For this purpose, SOE has collaborated with various educational organisations, including private school systems, government organisations, and NGOs.
These include Beaconhouse School System, Akhuwat Foundation, Syedanwala Secondary School, Programme Implementation and Monitoring Unit (PMIU), Punjab Education Foundation, Punjab Examination Commission, Teach the World, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, Maktab, The Citizens Foundation, Progressive Education Network, and Teach for Pakistan.
Each organisation has been assigned up to three students who will be working with them over the course of the last semester of their MPhil programme. These selections have been done by the SOE faculty, keeping in mind the students' professional interests. In preparation for this immersive field intervention, all MPhil students have taken a mandatory course in practicum planning and development supervised by a faculty mentor.
The event began with the students having an introductory meeting with representatives from their assigned practicum organisations under the supervision of their respective faculty lead. This provided an opportunity for the students to discuss the complexities and scope of the project.
On their expectations from the upcoming collaboration, Dr. Lawrence Burke, Chief Education Advisor, Beaconhouse Group, said, "It is a unique opportunity to link the public and private education sectors through the work the MPhil candidates undertake in schools within the Beaconhouse Group, and schools in the public education sector.