TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
 

Teacher Education

277. Selection of students (for teacher training courses) should be regulated through stringent aptitude and attainment and not merely on University grade or mark. (13.1.4).

278. The training programme should be competence-based and there should be an integration of theory and practice for situational applications. (13.1.4).

279. Affective aspects to be taken care of so as to develop, in students the qualities such as empathy, right attitude towards profession and society and develop values. (13.1.4).

280. In-service and Refresher courses are to be specific and they should be related to the specific needs of the teachers. Inservice programmes should take due care of the future needs of teacher growth, evaluation and follow up should be part of the scheme. Research should support better management including delivery system of the programme. Development of innovative strategies and pilot trial of significant activities should be encouraged to ensure the effectiveness of the programme. DIETs should have the major responsibility for organising in-service courses for elementary school teachers. A strong distance education system of in-service education should be developed using TV, Radio and print media. It can be strengthened by occasional contact programmes. (13.1.4).

281. All should be strengthened with continuous supply of relevant learning material including journals. Provision should be made for every teacher to attend in-service programmes according to the specific needs and requirements. (13.1.4).

282. The first degree in teacher education should not be given through correspondence education. (13.4.0).

Preparing Teachers for the New Thrusts

283. In the light of the new thrusts which the Committee is. proposing for the education system, the teacher training would

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have to be totally revamped with a view to equip the teacher with the following attributes :

(a) empathy and a school perception of the need pro- files of children from different educationally backward sections of society;

(b) understanding of the status of women in society and the need to introduce a gender perspective in all dimensions of education;

(c) capability of imparting education in all aspects of cognitive and affective domains as well as psychomo- tor skills;

(d) aptitude for innovative and creative work;

(e) perception of the interventionist role of education in a stratified society and the ability to give operational meaning to this role;

(f) preparedness for vocationalisation of entire educational process and aptitude for integration work in: academic learning;

(g) ability in special areas such as pre-school education, education for the handicapped children, continuous and comprehensive evaluation, activity-based learning, scientific methods of acquiring knowledge etc.; and

(h) a sensitive understanding of her/his role in a decentralised and participative mode of educational management.

In addition to the personal attributes enumerated above, the new thrusts towards UEE would require the teacher of the elementary stage to be trained in the following concepts, methods and skills :

- non-formalisation of the school which would involve introduction of child-centred approach, ungraded classroom, diaggregated and continuous evaluation, and a sensitive understanding of child's behaviour;

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- reaching out to the unserved habitations and those sections of children who have not so far responded to schooling by organising 'para-schools';

- linking lip with ECCE and adopting its paly-way and activity-based approach into the primary school;

- developing school into a community school where school becomes a nuclens of several social and cultural activities of the village besides becoming a centre through which developmental and social welfare services may be made available to the village; mobilising resources, both human and otherwise, for enrichment of the learning environment through introduction of singing, drawing, clay-modeling, folklore and folk singing in the class room;

- developing content on the basis of the minimum levels of learning;

- community empowerment by communicating the expected learning outcomes in simple forms and arranging opportunities where the community could directly evaluate what their children have gained from the school;

- capacity to guide vocationalisation of entire Ele- mentary Education, alongwith mastery over at least one SUPW or vocational skills;

- understanding of how to integrate different subjects into an organised whole.

Revamp the teacher-training programmes along the lines suggested above, particularly for the teachers at the elementary stage, with a view to meet the requirements of the new thrusts proposd for UEE.

Internship Model of Teacher Training

284. The Internship Model of teacher training may be used extensively for preparing para-teachers' during their probationary

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period. The programme in each Educational Complex may be coordinated at the Complex level in close linkage with the DIET. This training would have to be sandwiched with inservice institution-based short term courses in between. (13.6.11).

285. The Internship Model may also be explored as a possible way of training other types of teachers as well. (13.6.11).

Training High School Teachers

286. The new NCTE syllabus for B.Ed. courses should be circulated to all teacher training institutions and State/UT Governments for detailed comments, before the matter is finalised. (13.7.2).

287. Encourage more institutions to open the 4 year integrated course along the lines of Regional Colleges of Education. (13.7.2).

Preparing Teacher Educators for Leadership Role

288. Give the teacher educator a leadership role in all aspects of the educational system, including policy making, strategy for- mulation, implementation and monitoring. (13.8.4).

289. For the above purpose, organise a specially designed training programme such that all the desired attributes of a teacher educator would be inculcated in the trainee. (13.8.4).

Continuing Teacher Education

290. The proposed Educational Complex may be given the responsibility for coordinating and organising in-service teacher training programmes for the teachers in the area of its coverage. In particular, the Complex can provide an effective channel of communication between the schools and DIET. (13.9.0).

Faculty of Teacher Training Institutions

291. The practice of using teacher training institutions as a dumping ground for unwanted or troublesome persons should be stopped forthwith. Instead, competent persons may be brought into these institutions from schools and other Government institutions on a rotational basis. (13.10.3).

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In-service Education Programme

292. The continuation of a teacher may be linked with the completion by her/him of the requirement of updating her/his knowledge from time to time. (13.10.3).

Powers of Heads of Schools

293. All the necessary administrative and financial powers be vested with the Head of the institution (i.e. Primary/Middle/ High Schools), so that she/he may function with autonomy to fulfil the assigned role. (13.10.3).

District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs)

294. The State Governments must ensure full autonomy to DIETs for embarking upon its their programmes of research and training so that these are able to play their expected role in bringing about quality improvement and reform. (13.11.2).

295. In view of the new thrusts given by this Committee to education, DIETs would have to undertake fresh responsibilities and develop competence in the respective areas as enumerated below:-

(a) Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE);

(b) Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE);

(c) Women's Education with emphasis on giving a gender perspective to the entire educational process;

(d) Education for promoting equity and social justice among SCs/STs and other educationally backward sections of society, including minorities;

(e) Vocationalisation of the entire educational process; and

(f) Examination reforms, modularisation, multiple entry and exit points. (13.11.2).

Implementation of the Scheme of Teacher Education

296. Emergent steps should be taken for getting completed all the teacher education institutions for which financial assistance has been given by the Government of India. (13.12.0).

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297. Further financial assistance to States which have not so far completed the earlier phases of project implementation should be avoided-i.e. until physical progress is demonstrated in regard to funds given but not yet used. (13.12.0).

298. As the faculty of the DIETs is the most crucial element in the teacher education programme, emergent attention may be given to the filling up of all the posts. Recruitment rules for manning these posts should also be got issued by the State Governments urgently. (13.12.0).

Teachers' Welfare

299. Conducive working conditions and environment are necessary for improving teacher effectiveness; however, provision of various welfare facilities for them are just as necessary. These should include :

- Office-room for individual teachers with adequate provisions for interaction with students, staff lounges, departmental libraries etc.

- Residential quarters at reasonable rent.

- Facilities for community/corporate life including cultural and recreational facilities.

- Medical facilities.

- Travel facilities for visiting libraries and other advanced academic centres, indsutrial establishments, etc. including participation in conferences, seminars, etc.

Teachers' Participation in Management

300. Teachers should be provided with opportunities to participate in a wide range of activities that are crucial to the growth and development of the institutions they serve.

In specific terms, participation of teachers should be encouraged in :

- Planning and resource mobilisation, curriculum design and development, formulation of institutional strategies for development, etc. They should be

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represented on Committees, Boards, etc. involved in the consideration of these issues.

- Teachers representation on Executive Council, Senate (Court) and other principal decision-making bodies should be considered as essential to provide the necessary academic input in the deliberations of these bodies.

- Teachers should be represented on bodies which consider matters like teachers' welfare, their condi- tions of service, and their grievance redressal mechanisms.

- It should be advisable if appointments at the level of Pro-Vice-Chancellors, functional Deans/Directors, Registrars, etc. are made from amongst teachers to ensure functional linkages between the academics and the administration.

Teacher Mobility

301. Mobility of teachers should be encouraged both within the education system as well as between the education system and other related sectors. To ensure this mobility, the conditions of service of teachers should provide for protection of their past services and provision for transfer of the benefits of such services while moving from one institution to another and from the education sector to other sectors.

Students

302. Students should play a leading role in the Organisation of corporate life, cultural activities, games and sports, academic societies, hostel committees, etc.

In order to provide a direction and sense of purpose to student participation in the corporate life of institutions, State level Committees could be set up to consider the following issues :

- The approach to higher education in the universities and colleges.

- The academic programmes of general significance.

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- The organisation and programming of teaching work and examinations. - Extra curricular and co-curricular activities in uni- versities and colleges including Organisation of inter- university competitions and tournaments, youth festi- vals, etc.

- Work experience programmes for students.

- Organisation of social service of students.

- Residence and discipline of students.

The State level committees could be constituted with student representatives elected/nominated from universities/colleges within each State.

At the university level, Students' Councils should be set up with the Vice-Chancellor as its President. These Students Councils should be assigned the responsibilities for:

- Orientation of new students.

- Organisation of students health services.

- Organisation of residential facilities.

- Vocational guidance, counselling and placement.

- Students activities, financial assistance to students.

- Co-curricular activities.

- Student discipline.

- Supervision and coordination of the activities of different student associations and societies.

- To allocate funds for different activities of student associations.

- To recommend financial allocation for various acti- vities.

There could also be Students' Advisory Committees at the department of faculty levels. These committees could provide a forum where students could express their views on important academic question like the structure of the courses, the content

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of the syllabi, the pattern of instruction and examinations, research, etc. besides issues relevant to better working of the universities. The suggestions made by the students at these forums should be given due consideration by the appropriate authorities/ bodies.

Institutions of higher education should organise satisfactory student welfare services. These services should comprise those which directly relate to the classroom, the laboratory and library activities as well as those which supplement educational programmes though they are not an integral part of them. These latter categories of services would include health, social wellbeing, morale, residence, food, entertainment, medical care and extra curricular programmes.

It would be advisable to set up in the universities and colleges Student Employment Committees. These committees :should have close liaison with employers and employment agencies. The major functions of these committees should be :

- To ascertain the requirement of trained personnel in various fields.

- To advise the respective Boards of Studies to courses (full-time, part-time, etc.) to meet those requirements.

- To assist students in obtaining full-time or part-time jobs while studying. For this purpose, these committees should work in cooperation with.

* State planning agencies, to plan new openings for students.

* Local Government administration.

* Government departments and employing agencies.

* Industry and industrial organisations.

* Social institutions and organisations.

These committees should also effectively interact with the Board of Studies to bring to bear on their deliberations the

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changing employment profiles, emerging occupational needs, potential employment opportunities, etc.