TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
NPERC Perspective 17.1 The NPERC is one with the NPE on salience of teacher education; overhaul of teacher education system is considered to be the very first step towards educational reorganisation. The NPERC also gave credit to the NPE for launching a nation-wide programme of strengthening teacher training institutions at the district level. It also noted that after 1987, substantial funds were provided for construction of buildings, purchase of books and creation of other facilities under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Teacher Education. In Chapter 13 of its report, the NPERC made a large number of recommendations covering recruitment, content and process of teacher education (both pre-service and in-service), teacher welfare and participation in the management, and the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Teacher Education. The NPERC also offered suggestions on the participation of students in the corporate life of academic institutions.
Teacher Accountability and Evaluation 17.2 The NPERC's recommendations in Chapter 13 deal with operational matters which do not require any reformulation of the NPE. The lone exception is the suggestion to introduce a licensing system for teachers (R.No.292). The NPERC was of the view that the teacher was as much a professional as a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer. To qualify and to remain as a professional person, one must have updated knowledge and skills. Therefore, it is essential that every teacher, without exception, goes through an in-service education programme once in every five or six years. The requirement of updating must be linked to the continuance of a teacher as a professional. In the event of a teacher refusing to go through a re-orientation course or of attending a training course without learning anything, his teaching licence should be withdrawn. The licensing system envisaged by the NPERC goes beyond the requirements stipulated in professions like engineering, medicine and law. Professional bodies generally disqualify a member for proven misdemeanour and not for failure to update the skills. The administrative chores to be attended to in a licensing system of the type envisaged by the NPERC would be stupendous the coverage of as many as four million teachers would require the creation of a cumbersome regulatory bureaucracy which cannot but vitiate the academic environment. Licensing of teachers as suggested by the NPERC is therefore not desirable. The concerns of the NPERC, namely, ensuring teacher accountability and competence are extremely valid but the solution offered is draconian. We feel that operationalisation of the relevant NPE formulations (Paras 9.2 and 9.3) would meet these concerns. NPE envisaged creation of an open, participative and data-based teacher evaluation end laying down the norms of accountability with incentives for good 3 3 63
performance and disincentives for non-performance. NPE also called upon the teachers associations to play a significant role in upholding professional integrity, enhancing the dignity of the teacher and in curbing professional misconduct. NPE suggested that national level associations of teachers could prepare a code of professional ethics for teachers and see to its observance.
Admission to Teacher Training Programmes 17.3 The NPERC suggested that selection of students for teacher training courses should be regulated through stringent aptitude and attainment and not merely on university grade or marks (R.No.277). In the context of teacher recruitment, NPE talked about reorganising the methods to ensure merit, objectivity and conformity with spatial and functional requirements. The selection system, whether for teachers or teacher trainees, should be objective and immune from undue inducements, thereby fostering the credibility of the selection process.
Content and Process of Teacher Education 17.4 The NPERC listed out a number of propositions which should inform content and process of teacher training programmes (R.Nos.278-281 and R.No.283). These propositions are an elaboration of the provisions in NPE/POA and many of them are built into the teacher education programmes. The major recommendations are the following:
i) Theory and practice should be integrated for situational applications.
ii) The training programmes should promote qualities and values such as empathy, particularly to the girl child and children from educationally backward sections of society, and right attitude towards the profession and society.
iii) Teacher training programmes should cover concepts and methods relating to child-centred approach, multi-grade teaching, continuous and comprehensive evaluation, development of content on the basis of minimum levels of learning, linkages with ECCE and adoption of playway and activity based approach in primary education.
iv) In-service programmes should be related to the specific needs of teachers and take care of the future needs of teacher growth, evaluation and follow up.
v) Innovative strategies and pilot trial of significant activities should be encouraged.
vi) Distance education system of in-service education 3 3 should be developed using radio, TV and print media.
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Though many of these propositions are already incorporated in the teacher education programme, we commend these to National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and State Councils of Research and Training (SCERTs) for consideration whenever the curriculum is reviewed or renewed.
Correspondence Courses 17.5 The NPERC reiterated the view of the NCTE that the first degree in teacher education should not be given through correspondence education (R.No.282). In the correspondence mode of pre-service teacher training, the trainees do not get adequate exposure to school conditions; and practice-teaching is perfunctory. Therefore, a correspondence course imparts at best a bookish knowledge which is not adequate for preparing a balanced professional teacher. This recommendation is very sound and needs to be followed up vigorously by the Central and State Governments and the universities. We are happy to know that the University Grants Commission had taken note of NCTE's view and issued necessary instructions to the universities for discontinuing pre-service teacher training courses. We would have liked the NPERC to take a strong position against the proliferation of sub-standard teacher education institutions. Unless firm and effective steps are taken immediately to put an end to the commercialisation of teacher education, it would be futile to talk about educational standards. We, therefore, strongly urge that the NCTE be immediately provided, as envisaged in the NPE/POA, with necessary resources and capability.
Internship Model 17.6 The NPERC made a strong plea for the internship mode of teacher training (R.Nos.284-285). The NPERC felt that the conventional institution-based model of pre-service and inservice teacher training may not be adequate to meet the challenge of UEE. The conventional approach suffers from several deficiencies; it is isolated from the ground realities, the linkages between theory and practice are weak and the infrastructural facilities inadequate. The emphasis should, therefore, shift towards developing the teacher rather than on training the teacher. In the internship model, the training starts with a brief theoretical orientation at teacher education institutions. This phase is followed by internship in a school for a 3-5. year period. Each trainee would be attached as an intern to an experienced and skilled teacher who would function as a real model. In the second and third years, the supervision may become less frequent and the trainees left to function more independently. During this phase of supervised teaching, the trainees would be required to attend short sessions in the teacher education institutions. The trainee would be certified as a trained teacher only after 3-5 years on the basis of continuous evaluation by the supervisors and senior 3 3 teachers. According to the NPERC, internship model has better scope of development of requisite skills and attitudes in the teachers. The NPERC
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recommended this model of training for 'para-teachers' only. For other teachers, the NPERC suggested exploring this model as a possible way of training. There are at the moment no well-documented experiences on the internship model and the practical aspects for its adoption on a large scale and its comparative advantages need to be examined further. An expert body like the NCTE should study the model in-depth and guide the SCERTs and teacher education institutions.
B.Ed. Syllabus 17.7 R. Nos.286-287 deal with details of syllabus for B.Ed. courses and the types of courses to be opened. NCTE may take necessary action in consultation with States/UTs.
Attributes of Teacher Education 17.8 In R.Nos.288-289, the NPERC had identified the attributes which a teacher educator should possess. The NPERC also suggested that the programmes should be designed for teacher educators and that such programmes should inculcate all the desired attributes in the trainee (R.No.288-289). We understand that the NCERT is preparing a special programme for teacher educators. Recommendations of the NPERC may be kept in mind by the NCERT.
In-service Programme: Planning 17.9 R.No.290 suggested that the responsibility for planning and organising in-service teacher training programmes should be assigned to the educational complex. The educational complex can also provide an effective channel of communication between the school and the DIET. The NPERC elaborated the concept of Participative Management." Our views on educational complexes are also set out in the corresponding chapter. Suffice to say here that in Chapter 14, the NPERC had advocated testing, during the Eighth Plan, with the idea of educational complexes on a pilot basis and development of functional models; in other chapters including the chapter on "Teachers and Students", the NPERC proceeded on the premise that the educational complex was a proven idea and can be entrusted with the entire responsibility of management of education and major programmes like teacher education. It would be premature to assign to educational complexes the responsibility for planning and organising teacher training programmes before effective functional models are developed. Therefore, training and management of in-service training programmes for elementary teachers should be the responsibility of the DIETs only.
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by competent persons (R.No.291). The NPERC rightly held that the faculty of the DIETs is the most crucial element in the teacher education programme. We strongly endorse the appeal of the NPERC to the State Governments that they should give emergent attention to fill up all the posts and to frame recruitment rules. These rules should ensure that the posts are filled up by competent and motivated persons with reasonable tenure.
Teacher Education Scheme 17.11 We also strongly endorse the recommendation of the NPERC (R.Nos.296-297) that emergent steps should be taken for operationalising the teacher education institutions for which financial assistance was provided by the Government of India and that further financial assistance should be denied to those States in which the physical progress and utilisation of funds are unsatisfactory.
17.12 The NPERC recommended that the DIET should be provided autonomy from the SCERT and the State Government for taking initiative in organising its own research and training programmes (R.No.294). It also suggested that the responsibility of DIETs should be extended to cover ECCE, vocationalisation of the educational process and examination reforms, modularisation and multiple entry and exit points (R.No.295). We do feel that every DIET should be a distinct identity with enough operational autonomy. It should have the "space" to experiment and to innovate. However, it would be more advantageous to have a networking arrangement of DIETs and the SCERT, with the SCERT providing necessary guidance and coordination. The SCERT can also act as a clearing house for sharing of experiences and information. we would recommend an independent and autonomous structure for SCERTs conducive to their emergence as genuine academic institutions. At the present, only a few DIETs have become fully operational; therefore, we do not feel that DIETs can, at this stage, take on the additional responsibilities as envisaged by the NPERC. It would be worthwhile to examine setting up separate institutions at the State level for some areas like vocationalisation; the SCERTs themselves can play a lead role in respect of some areas like ECCE and examination reforms.
Heads of Institutes 17.13 The NPERC reiterated the important role assigned by the NPE (Para 10.7) to the heads of the educational institutions (R.No.293). We are of the view that emergent action is necessary in this regard and the heads of the institutions should be vested with the necessary powers and capabilities to discharge their role. 3e3
Teacher Welfare/Participation/Mobility 17.14 The NPERC also offered suggestions regarding teacher welfare, teacher participation and teacher mobility (R.Nos.299-301). The NPE also called upon the government and the community
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to create conditions which will help motivate and inspire teachers on constructive and creative lines. It also felt that pay scales and conditions of service of teachers should be commensurate with their social and professional responsibilities, and with the need to attract talent to the profession. The NPERC's suggestions regarding office room, residential quarters, facilities for community and corporate life, cultural and recreational facilities, medical facilities, travel facilities, etc. have to be considered by the State Governments in the light of their financial position and other commitments. Regarding teacher participation in management, we consider that para 9.2 of NPE put forth the most feasible proposition, namely, that teachers will continue to play crucial role in formulation and implementation of the teacher education programmes.
Students 17.15 The NPERC recommended several measures for student participation in the corporate life of the academic institutions such as setting up Students' Councils, and Departmental Student Advisory Committees. The NPERC also suggested that representation of students on these bodies be preferably by nomination. The State Governments and universities may take appropriate action on the recommendations taking into account the specific situations.
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