16. Keeping in view the central place of teacher education NPE calls for Its overhaul as the first step towards educational reorganisation. Giving particular importance to the training of elementary school teachers, it is envisaged that selected institutions would be developed as District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET), both for pre-service and inservice courses of elementary school teachers and for continued education of the

*This pertains to School Education only. Teacher education for teachers in higher and technical education has been dealt with in other relevant sections.

personnel working in non-formal and adult education programme. Reorganisation of secondary teacher education system is also implied in the policy.

17. The National Council of Teacher Education will be given the Statutory status and necessary resources to play its role.

REORGANISATION OF ELEMENTARY TEACHER EDUCATION

18. An important change in the educational system will be brought about by the radical transformation of the present system of Elementary Teacher Education. The functions of an Elementary Teacher Education institution would include:

- Pre-Service and inservice education of teachers for the formal school system.

- Induction level and continuing education of Non- Formal and Adult Education Instructors and Supervisors.

- Training and orientation of heads of institutions in institutional planning and management and micro-level planning.

- Orientation of community leaders, functionaries of Voluntry organisations and others influencing school level education.

- Academic support to school complexes and District Boards of Education.

- Action research and experimentation work.

- Serving as evaluation centre for primary and upper primary schools as well as Non-Formal and Adult Education Programme.

- Provision of services of a resource and learning centre for teachers and instructors.

- Consultancy & advice, for example to DBE's.

19. Each State Government will set up immediately a Task Force for making an assessment of the number of institutions of this nature required in the State keeping in view the various relevant Programmes of Action. The Task Force will also identify the existing institutions which can be developed as District Institutes of Education and Training. As DIETs get established, substandard Institutions would be phased out.

20. The DIET will perform all the functions mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The Head of a DIET would be of the status of a Principal of a Degree College/B.Ed. College and most of the faculty members would be persons with background in elementary education. Special selection procedures will be established to

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ensure that ablest persons are selected, given higher scales of pay and are reoriented in cooperation with NCERT, NIEPA, SCERTs, University Departments of Education, some outstanding Teachers' etc. The NFE/Adult Education District Resource Units would be an integral part of DIET for which additional faculty will be provided. On this programme, Central Government will meet a major share in funding.

21. Facilities of latest technology such as computer-based learning, VCR, TV, etc. will be provided at DIETs. The teachers receiving training at DIETs would be encouraged to develop their own programmes using the facilities available at DIETs and to use these materials as instructional resources. Capability for making copies of video cassettes, audio cassettes, etc. would also be provided in these Institutes. Besides, imaginative use of traditional teaching aids would be emphasised and teachers encourage to Improvise their own instructional materials.

SECONDARY TEACHER EDUCATION

22. The responsibility for secondary teacher education would continue to rest with Colleges of Teacher 'Education affiliated to Universities. The university in co-operation with NCTE will exercise responsibility for academic aspects including conduct of examinations, award of degrees and ensuring quality of secondary teacher education institutions. These institutions would also be responsible for continuing education programmes for secondary teachers. Some Colleges of Teacher Education will be developed as comprehensive institutions organising programmes for primary teacher education and possibly also, 4 years' integrated courses after higher secondary stage, in addition to the usual B.Ed./M.Ed. courses. These comprehensive institutions would also be provided facilities-and staff for undertaking research and to supplement the efforts of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). In order to promote innovations and experimentation, good colleges and departments of education of universities will also be given autonomous status.

IN-SERVICE EDUCATION OF TEACHERS

23. A great deal of responsibility would be given to SCERTs. They would have the major role of planning, sponsoring, monitoring, and evaluating the in-service education programme for all levels of teachers, instructors and other educational personnel. The needs for in-service education of teachers arise from several sources, such as, changing national goals, revision of school curricula, additional inputs in teaching- learning system, inadequate background of teachers, etc. The state level agency would take cognizance of all the needs before preparing a programme of in-service education for a given period of time.

24. SCERTs would also prepare suitable material for inservice education of teachers, undertake orientation of key persons, moni- toring and evaluation of programmes. Similar steps for training

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of teachers in Vocational Stream should also be taken by SCERTs.

25. The District Institutes of Education and Training for the primary level would be the major agency to conduct the programmes of in- service education for primary teachers; assistance would be sought from school complexes in the district. In case of secondary school teachers, the programmes would be extended through teacher training institutions and the Centres for Continuing Education. The District level education officer will help in effective conduct of the programmes.

26. All in-service education programmes cannot be organised in face- to-face modality, especially in view of the numbers involved. Distance inservice education will be prepared and extended with the help of broadcasting agencies. SCERTs would be equipped with necessary resources for production of learning material other than print. Minimum essential equipment to record audio, video programmes would be provided to each SCERT. The comprehensive college of education as well as DIETs would also be provided production facilities in a phased manner. The production facilities at DIETs and the colleges may not be of professional quality which would produce material which can be used in its own training programmes and can also be shared by other sister organisations Experiences especially those of voluntary organizations should be drawn upon in designing courses, development of material and strategies for inservice education.

CADRE OF TEACHER EDUCATORS

27. A separate cadre will be created for appointment of staff in SCERTs, secondary teacher education institutions and DIETs. Persons selected to this cadre will receive incentives such as housing and placement in a higher scale of pay. Special arrangements will be made to ensure continuing education of these persons. An inter-change will also be organised between teaching and teacher education. Sufficient number of supernumerary/reserve positions will be created in schools to enable people from this cadre to go as teachers for 1-2 years every 4-5 years.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHER EDUCATION (NCTE)

28. NCTE has been in existence since 1973 but it has not been able to guide the system of teacher education to meet emerging challenges. Some of the difficulties are inherent in its constitution. To remedy this, it will be conferred autonomous and statutory status.

It would perform the following functions:

(a) Accreditation/disaccreditation of institutions of teacher education

(b) Laying down of standards and norms for institutions of teacher education

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(d) Other functions like earning of credits for in- service education, duration of various courses, emphasis to be laid in training progrmmes for NFE/AE instructors, place of correspondence education in teacher education etc.

Some other functions like preparation of learning material,orientation of senior teacher educators etc. may continue to be performed by NCERT, SCERTs, in co-operation with NCTE.

29. The curriculum for teachers' training needs to be revised in the light of the new policy thrusts. In particular, there should be an emphasis on integration of education and culture, work experience, physical education and sports, the study of Indian culture and the problems of the unity and integration of India. Planning and Management are emerging areas and curriculum should bring out the importance of these areas. Educational technology will influence not only methodologies of teaching learning process but also the contents and their design. These aspects should also be taken into account while framing the curriculum.

There is too much emphasis in textbooks on Western ideas, and teachers under training do not get exposed adequately to Indian philosophical and psychological concepts of education. Therefore, NCERT and UGC should undertake the task of preparing new learning materials, which would include textbooks, reference books, anthologies, slides, films, etc., and which will reflect the Indian experience in education.

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