Education is one of the most contributing factors to the global advancement of human capital. It is a tool that a country can use to increase the productivity and efficiency of its citizens, resulting in skilled labour that helps face the demographic challenges and takes the country down the path of sustainable socio-economic development.
There has been a notable increase in the number of schools and a corresponding rise in enrollment over the past few decades in Pakistan. To promote valuable technological integration in classrooms, highly-experienced faculty, and better holistic development of upcoming generations, the Punjab Group of Colleges has initiated a project with STEAM-based education known as STEP Schools.
STEP Schools is not just an educational institute to cater to every child, but a project to help students reach their full potential. STEP Schools envision providing students with modern education with an affordable fee structure that enables them to boost socio-economic growth. Through the 21st century’s advanced teaching and learning methodologies, the project strives to provide a better future and create a society that is wise, intelligent and educated.
The schools believe in delivering high-quality education that supports lifelong learning and promotes student independence. As a result, they not only become self-reliant in their education but also develop into explorers who can use their curiosity to solve problems in the real world.
The STEP Schools curriculum is designed to enrich its pupils with remarkable learning experiences by inculcating in them problem-solving skills and the 4Cs; Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity. Moreover, the 21st century’s modern applied approaches are also a part of the program that enlightens the students about environmental and economic issues and helps them better understand the world they live in.
Furthermore, to keep track of the yearly progress of each student, the final report includes everything from their exam paper grades, to the percentage of class participation, tests and quizzes, homework regularity and punctuality, project-based learning, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work.
The following are the key offerings of STEP Schools:
- STEAM Education
- Project-Based Learning
- Student Counselling
- ICT and Robotics
STEAM Education
With the advancement in the educational world, it is vital to equip students with knowledge and skills to help them become successful innovators in the 21st-century workforce. To accomplish this mission, STEP Schools project offers STEAM-based education for students that touches 5 major aspects of life; Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Through the STEAM approach, it focuses on the holistic development of children and refine their abilities to excel in both schools and beyond.
Furthermore, to assist students in understanding how concepts relate to real life, STEAM provides them with mind-on and hands-on learning experiences. It polishes the following skills in children:
- Decision Makin
- Leadership
- Problem-Solving
- Teamwork
- Creativity
- Critical Thinking
The school prepares its students to build a connection with the community and use their competencies and independent thinking to solve real-world challenges in the earliest years of their lives.
Project Based Learning
The curriculum is structured to encourage project-based learning (PBL) that helps students realize their potential and empowers the development of a society filled with self-directed learners. In addition, the projects include a wide range of activities that enable students to have practical exposure and better learning opportunities.
Every project highlights a genuine real-world problem. The students develop an overall driving question that includes interdisciplinary connections to challenges. So, through PBL, students can directly relate to the concepts they are learning in different subjects through project experience. In addition, they learn to connect with actual data and facts, process this information through logic and critical analysis and then come up with an innovative solution.
Student Counselling
STEPS Schools promotes Student Counselling to assist students in understanding the barriers in their intended academic route. Moreover, the project helps them become more aware of their career choices and goals and encourages them to make better decisions in school. Students are mentally prepared for life beyond school by following three approaches:
- Managing Behavior for Learning
- BISE Mentoring and Grooming Programme (BMGP)
- Career Counselling
Managing Behavior for Learning:
The teachers at STEP Schools present ideal behaviour to students to teach them behaviour management. This results in students listening more carefully, completing tasks, participating in class, and taking responsibility for their work. By following a learning policy, STEPS incorporates learning behaviour in students and prepares them for life in an ever-changing world.
BISE Mentoring and Grooming Programme (BMGP):
This involves the academic counselling of students and training them well for their matriculation exams in all seven boards of Punjab and Federal BISE. The schools devise helpful strategies that help students score good grades.
STEPS take 4 aspects into consideration while mentoring and grooming students academically.
1 – Guidelines: Students get all the required information, from the nature and pattern of board exams to roll numbers, from the start of the session till the end.
2 – Resources: STEPS Schools provide resources that include solved past papers, descriptive notes, sample essays, etc. to assist the student in comparing their answers and tracking their preparation.
3 – Training: Students will be trained about how to attempt a question paper and review answers, how to deal with exam pressure, and perform well in practical.
4 – Grooming: Pupils will learn how to attempt paper neatly and accurately. They will be prepared to manage time and write answers correctly.
Career Counselling: The expert counsellors advise students about available career options based on subject choice, admission requirements, college selection, etc.
ICT and Robotics
We now live in a world where technology has infiltrated and affected many areas of our life. That is why Information Communication Technology and Robotics have become the need of the hour. STEP Schools has ensured that every classroom is equipped with ICT. In addition, it provides three forums:
1 – STEP Portal: It is a single platform that connects students, teachers, parents, and management and gives direct access to teachers to STEP Schools’ curriculum. Moreover, they have also launched a mobile app making the portal accessible anytime from anywhere.
2 – STEP E-Learning Program: Students can learn from video lectures and other learning materials from anywhere they are through e-learning projects.
3 – STEP ICT Curriculum: Prepares students to efficiently use technology and develop them as the makers of tomorrow’s technological world.
4 – Robotics: The modern curriculum also involves the subjects of robotics, computing, and coding to empower students’ interest in technology and lead to the development of the in-demand 21st-century skills in students.
The STEP Schools model offers extraordinary educational services that cater to the requirements of parents and their children. These services help students achieve their personal and professional goals and prepare them to efficiently deal with any difficulty that comes their way.
Due to its cutting-edge and superior services to its stakeholders, STEP Schools have carved out a special place for itself in the market. It provides an affordable but high-quality education. Students from every class can attend and now admissions from Step one to Step seven are open. Visit their website at www.stepschools.com.
