OK, we’ve known it for years, but India’s got a teacher problem.
For a variety of reasons – other career options, low pay, demanding schedules – schools simply do not attract the quality of teachers they need. The rapid growth in the number of schools further worsens the situation. From 2010-11 to 2015-16, the number of private schools in India grew an astounding 35%.
The result – 9 lakh teacher vacancies exist across primary and upper-primary schools. Per a UNESCO report, 74 countries face a grave shortage of teachers, with India being No.2 on the list. What’s worse, it shows in the quality of students. More than 50% of students in Grade 5 cannot read a Grade 2 text or solve a simple subtraction problem.
With several systemic issues plaguing the education sector, it’s virtually impossible to address the situation in a hurry. So, when the Government announced a change to how the B.Ed. program in India is run, our ears perked up!
What’s changed?
From the 2018-19 academic session, the standard 2-year long Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) program is proposed to give way to a 4-year integrated program. The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry has asked the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) to start working on a revamped syllabus for the integrated B.A. B.Ed. and B.Sc. B.Ed. course.
The B.Ed. journey till date
The B.Ed. the program has had a rollercoaster ride so far, with proposals and revisions. In 2014, the B.Ed. the course was reported to be reduced to a 1-year course to boost its demand. However, the syllabus had not been revised at that time, thus making the course less attractive.
As of March 2016, 15 lakh students were pursuing teacher training courses. Of them, only 4,000 were pursuing the integrated program. The new 4-year integrated program is a fresh move on part of MHRD to make the course more comprehensive and therefore, more attractive.
A bit more about the 4-year integrated program…
This course is structured to cater to the needs of Senior Primary and Secondary Schools where the subjects are general in nature and students must learn basic and fundamental concepts in the fields of Maths, Science, Languages and Social Sciences. The core element of the course is based on primary concerns of teacher education and subjects within.
For the B.A. B.Ed. 4-year integrated course, language groups, and social science group will be part of the curriculum.
The B.Sc. B.Ed. The 4-year integrated course is offered in two different combinations, PCB and PCM. PCB means Physics, Chemistry, and Biology for AB and B group of Science stream at 12th level, whereas PCM means Physics, Chemistry, and Maths for AB and A group of Science stream. Candidates who have passed 12th Science examination in AB and B Group can opt for PCB, whereas AB and A Group can opt for PCM.
As a part of programme, students are offered skill courses to enhance their teaching skills.
Why we’re positive about the move
While it’s early days yet to judge the effectiveness of the decision, there’s a lot going for it:
• Works for the sector: One of the biggest problems of the Education sector has been the paucity of serious candidates, keen on teaching as a career. As new rules demand candidates to make a choice earlier in their lives (after Grade 12, as against after graduation), only those genuinely interested in teaching, will take it up
• Works for candidates: The B.Ed. program earlier would take five years to complete (3 years for B.A./B.Sc. + 2 years for B.Ed.). Now, a candidate can start working within just 4 years of finishing Grade 12/Higher Secondary, without compromising on the quality of education – a big incentive for any candidate
• Works for schools: As more and more candidates begin choosing a career in education, this will partially correct the demand-supply equation for good teachers. Also, the availability of more professionally-qualified teachers will help schools tackle the issue of teacher attrition (especially among those teachers who take up the job only for the money or to use their time better)
• Works for students: Sustained access to better-qualified teachers will help improve understanding of subjects, address issues such as student absenteeism (especially in small towns & villages) and help create a learning mindset for life. As India grapples with the issue of increasing unemployability, this move will help improve the student profile and set young Indians up for success in later years.
As India strengthens its position globally, the quality of education will play a major role in sustaining India’s competitiveness. It is imperative to be agile and responsive to best practices. Per Business Insider, Finland – which is gradually becoming the leading education system in the world – has some of the best quality teachers. Among other factors, this has been made possible due to its 5-year integrated coursework during teacher training.
We believe the Indian Government’s move is laudable and will yield desired results. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Monika Bakshi
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Monika Bakshihttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/univariety/
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Monika Bakshihttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/univariety/
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Monika Bakshihttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/univariety/
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Monika Bakshihttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/univariety/
19 Comments
Good move. But as an educator and head of a section, i feel that after the course, on service training is also essential. Practical experience(hand holding) is essential before handing over a class independently to the new graduates.
Yes… Good initiative
It looks nice, but difficult to make a candidate to decide soon after plus 2, to take up teaching.
Therefore, a suggestion:
End of second year of graduation, a student declares “I want to take up teaching.”
There could be a provision then for that student to switch over to 4 year course.
What they could do is that first two years focus on B.A, B.Sc course. Third year start B.Ed oriented course.
You can’t start first year B.A., at age 18 to be serious of teaching or anything related to that.
Third year & fourth year is good enough to focus and give rigorous B.Ed training.
Or go to the old B.Ed one year….but make it rigorous, cutting down summer holidays…or make it a year and a half course.
We appreciate this move and think positively.
This move is highly welcome!
This is the misfortune of India that very slow steps are being taken by govt. which is too late to improve the standard of school education as well as higher … whatever reforms you are going to make at the first we will have to prepare the generation who ethically improve the teaching skills in them. It is going now a days Educational Training Institutes are being run … only to deliver the degrees and diplomas … the soul of the curriculum has been died. Everything on the paper not on the realistic … That is the good step that the individual who is decided to be teacher at the first he enrolled him/herself in integrated course in which he will study …. about education and then improve profession skill in the last year … it will make him an instructor and guide if he / she will put themselves to earn knowledge … and must have attained all cognition levels of this prescribed course … Memory, Knowledge, Understanding, Application and Skill.
Are we prepared for the change!!!. Making decisions and implementing it requires a lot of deliberations. Need to do research on the ground realities and aftereffects of the decision. Since 2014 Teacher-training program undergoing changes after changes irrespective of good or bad. Integrated B.Ed program is definitely good but the question is how equipped we are for this change???
What about the old and reputed Teacher-training colleges which are not in a position to conduct the integrated program due to various reasons? Another major concern is about the well educated and qualified teacher-educators working in these collages? How are we going to accommodate them?
The ground realities of two year B.Ed course is not so satisfying as far as raining the quality standards are concerned. Government and the higher bodies should study the realities of two year B.Ed Program and then do the necessary homework to proceed further with the new changes.
I think its great that it is on the Governments agenda. We need to attract the best people into teaching in order to build a strong nation. Schools should be evaluated by the Government and good schools should be offered more flexibility and support. We need to seriously weed out the corruption in the Education departments. We also need to aim for a common syllabus across the country to unify it.
Yes it should be a 4 years diploma course
Move to make a 4years teachers training is invitable@in my opinion quality of training should be improved@selection procedure should be modified @there should not be any reservations in selection procedure, teachers has to be selected on the performance regarding the subject and who have highest ethical values because it is the most important profession@moral,vocational education should be included in teacher training
The design of a Four Year integrated programme is most welcome. the only concern is that the design meets the desired output. such a programme will lend a professional standing to the profession and also have candidates who are committed to the profession enroll for it.
I welcome this change .. ??
very good initiative..will definitely enhance the teaching level…
If implemented rightly and the content spread out in sch a manner so that there is more scope for internship .More than mere academics theories and history of education if the syllabus coyld have a subjects like preparing children for the future ,ecam stress management, use of technology in the classrooms, webnars for global connect etc.Few sessions /debates with the other teacher students across like exchange programs or international internship to the meritorious teacher student could be granted.This would not only attract good students but also bring good global classroom practices to the table.
Sure a good move…. But as cost of living is increasing day by day I think the remuneration should be attractive enough to get able teachers especially s in private schools….
BED after 12th grade seems to be fine. (4 year course.)
Please give me further details
It is a good move, but the situation with which the teachers work is also to be taken care of. Salary, good working condition are needed to attract candidates
Excellent move, and much desired. Education is the desired field of employment among many youth, especially females. So if proper training is provided to teachers, quality of education will certainly improve.
It will help to weed out the non serious from the serious.
A component of inculcating Human Values, Emotional and Social Skills must be added to the technical curriculum to equip the teachers for effective classroom teaching!