29 AP teachers selected for Finland training programme

Vijayawada: Twenty-nine government school teachers from Andhra Pradesh, who received the ‘Best Teacher’ awards last year, will undergo a three-phase international professional development programme, including an exposure visit to Finland, as part of the state’s efforts to introduce global teaching practices in government schools.The programme was launched jointly by the school education department and Samagra Shiksha at Andhra Loyola College in Vijayawada on Friday. The selected teachers will receive training from experts of the University of Turku, Finland, before undertaking a study visit to the Nordic country later this year.Samagra Shiksha state project director B Srinivasa Rao said the initiative reflects the government’s focus on strengthening teachers’ professional capabilities and improving learning outcomes in government schools.

He described teachers as “change agents” who can play a crucial role in transforming the state’s education system.As part of the first phase, which will continue till June 17, Finnish education experts Ari Koski, Sari Isokyto-Sinjoi and Suvi Puolakka are conducting sessions on play-based learning and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Vijayawada.In the second phase, scheduled from Aug 17 to 26, the teachers will visit the Finnish cities of Turku and Rauma, where they will observe classroom practices at early childhood education centres, preschools and teacher-training institutions.

The final phase will focus on implementing school-level projects based on the learnings from Finland. Faculty members from the University of Turku will provide online mentoring and feedback to support the teachers in adapting international best practices to local classrooms.Officials said the programme is aimed at equipping teachers with innovative pedagogical methods and helping improve the quality of education in government schools across the state.