The development of countries and local areas starts with human development. Therefore, Zavkhan province has been implementing a program called “Good Teacher” to increase the efficiency and improve the knowledge of teachers and administrators who prepare their students to be the best specialists in the future. In January this year, Zavkhan province and the general education school Shine Ue, the best school of Ulaanbaatar, held a training seminar for teachers and administrators named “Spirit from Teachers to their Students – Session 1” in Tosontsengel soum. The participants came from 14 schools located in eastern Zavkhan province. They gained more knowledge and proficiency with their respective subjects, and learned more teaching methodologies from Mongolia’s best teachers.

 

From the 7^th to the 10^th of November, Zavkhan province, Shine Ue, and the general education school Sant, the best school of Mongolia, held another training seminar for teachers and administrators called “Spirit from Teachers to their Students – Session 2.” Over 600 participants came from 15 general education schools and 4 vocational schools located in western Zavkhan province. Also, teachers of mathematics, physics, and computer science from 29 general education schools located in 24 soums participated in the training. Zavkhan province believes that the knowledge and skills of its teachers will improve along with their innovation, attitude, and methods to communicate to their students. 

The teachers who work at the general education school Sant and Shine Ue said that the knowledge, skills, and motivation of Zavkhan’s teachers were good. They also praised the Good Teacher program because Zavkhan province is now giving more attention to its teachers and administrators in order to prepare their students to be the best specialists of Mongolia and the World. The Sant and Shine Ue teachers were grateful to Zavkhan province for holding two seminars for its teachers and administrators and think that it would be a good experience for other provinces. The participants of the seminars said that they learned many things from the best teachers of Mongolia and that the training was very effective. 

Zavkhan province has been developing foreign relations and its specialists are starting to study abroad. Last year, 6 teachers studied in Japan. In March of 2018, 10 English teachers and 5 Zavkhan government officers will go to India using 100 scholarships from India’s government.  Zavkhan province hopes to send its specialists to the US, China, Taiwan, and other countries in the future. Altantsetseg.T, a project specialist from the US Embassy, gave information about scholarship programs for studying in the US to teachers and administrators at the “Spirit from Teachers to their Students - Session 2” seminar this month. 

Also during November’s seminar, technology specialists from Ulaanbaatar started to connect Zavkhan teachers to the Control Information Associated System. The specialists are going to go to every soum to work with teachers starting on the 15^th of this month.  When their work is complete, it will be possible for Zavkhan teachers to share their information and knowledge with each other and improve their skills every day. The best teachers who work in eastern Zavkhan gained experience from Shine Ue school last year. The best teachers who work in western Zavkhan will study with Sant school next year. Zavkhan province will organize more advanced seminars including one in Tosontsengel soum this winter and more next summer in other soums as part of the Good Teacher program. Zavkhan province is also changing to a system that awards teachers for working effectively and preparing successful students. For example, starting this year, teachers will be awarded 800,000 tugrug for students who receive a perfect score of 800 on their university entrance examinations. Teachers will also be awarded 10 million tugrug if their students receive gold medals at National Olympiads. Zavkhan province will continue holding seminars and taking other initiatives to improve its education system through the Good Teacher program until its completion in 2020.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Translation by: Oyun-Erdene Battur  /Journalist/

 

Translation editing by: Michael Lueck /Peace Corps Volunteer/