SPELT Celebrates 40 Years of Empowering Teachers

Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) recently celebrated its Landmark 40th Anniversary by holding two successful events, a “Celebratory Press Meet & Greet” at the PACC and later on its Annual International Conference at four different venues including Habib University.

Exercising voluntary zeal, SPELT has navigated four decades of empowering teachers, educators, and academics with a focus on uplifting the standards of professional development.

The SPELT Speakers President Mohsin Tejani, Vice President Dr. Fauzia Shamim, Conference Lead Dr. Maliha Ahmed and Outreach Lead Gul Jaffri spoke on the significance of the outreach and networking by organizations such as SPELT and shared SPELT’s mission and its vision forward.

“Press meet & Greet” had two engaging and thought-provoking panel discussions on the topics of “Education in a State of Emergency – Focus on Teacher Training” and “Has Media Deteriorated as a Source of Educational Values and Coherence?”. Distinguished panellists of scholars, authors and educationists such as Ms. Baela Raza Jamil, Dr Farid Panjwani, Muneeza Shamsi, Hameed Haroon, Ghazi Salahuddin, Mazhar Abbas, Seema Tahir Khan and Zebunnisa Burki captured the audience’s attention with their in-depth conversations.

The culmination of SPELT’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations was the two day SPELT International Conference titled of “Transitions in ELT: Past, Present and Future.” The conference drew over 600 enthusiastic educators. With a rich program of symposia, panel discussions, keynotes, talks, and workshops, the event offered a transformative experience for participants.

The conference featured prominent international speakers alongside nationally recognized figures like Arfa Sayeda Zehra. Educators from all over Sindh and beyond gathered to create a melting pot of perspectives and strategies for teaching. A highlight was the innovative World Café hosted by Prof. Abbas Husain, which provided a unique platform for collaborative discussions and reflections.

A particularly memorable aspect was the presence of SPELT’s founding members, celebrating 40 years of the organization. Amberina Kazi, Farida Faizullah, Anisa Mumtaz, Fauzia Shamim, Fatima Shahabudin, Zakia Sarwar and Abbas Husain. Along with the founding members the seasoned senior SPELTers such as Khalida Saadat, Dr Nasreen Hussain, Gul Jaffri and Lubna Punjwani were honoured for their longstanding services. Posthumous award of dedication and service excellence was also awarded to (late) Lubna Mohyeddin.

The conference’s central theme revolved around Artificial Intelligence and its implications for education. Discussions across venues delved into AI’s potential to transform teaching and learning, as well as the challenges it poses. Speakers reflected on how technological advances, from the printing press to television have historically reshaped societies. However, the impact of AI on intellectual professions like teaching has created a sense of urgency and unease.

The conference also underscored the resilience and hope embodied by young educators. Teachers emerged as central to shaping the educational landscape, capable of driving meaningful change despite challenges.