Now teacher training institutes are set to be graded by NCTE according to the new draft policy 

National Council for Teacher Education put out a draft regulatory framework TeachR aimed at overhauling teacher training institutes in the country
NCTE's new draft policy looks at overhauling teacher training institutes
NCTE's new draft policy looks at overhauling teacher training institutes

Teacher education is all set for a cleanup. The apex body, National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has revealed that BEd colleges and teacher training institutes will now be graded, a move that is hailed by the teaching community. 

According to the draft policy, TechR will overhaul the institutes and colleges by grading them into A, B, C and D. Fraudulent institutions will be put under D category and may be asked to shut down with immediate effect. Institutions that fail to achieve the required aggregate score would be placed under the C category and would be given a year to improve their performance. 

"This move will impact both the quality of teachers and the quality of students that the system produces," said Sheik Shabbir Ali from Telangana Private Teachers Forum. 

People take up teaching not because they like it but because they want a job. Unless, their aptitude and interest match, they can’t motivate, let alone teach students

Prof G Haragopal, Educationist

Stating that several fraudulent institutions take money from the candidates and give them certificates, he said, "Pay Rs 30,000- Rs 40,000 and just come to give exams, you will still be a qualified teacher. It does not matter that you were not trained, you know nothing about child psychology, teaching methodology or pedagogy." 

Another significant change that the NCTE aims to bring through the TeachR policy is that emphasis will now be given to factors like teaching transactions (30 per cent) and to students' learning outcome (40 per cent), while only 10 per cent and 20 per cent weightage will be given to physical infrastructure and academic assets respectively. Currently, there is no weightage on learning outcomes for approval or accreditation of such institutions, and it is solely driven by physical infrastructure.

"When teachers themselves have cheated to become teachers, what do you expect them to teach the students? Be it government school students or those in lower rung private school, the knowledge that they acquire is poor because the quality of teachers is substandard,” said P Sunita Swaroopa, a school teacher. 

On this major policy issue, the ignorance of Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru centers for consultation process is NCTE's lapse

N Narayana, National Vice-President, STFI

Several reports have confirmed that learning outcomes are a weak link. ASER report of 2016 stated that the overall learning level among Indian students was pretty disappointing. The Geeta Bhukkal Committee found that 50 per cent of Class V students were unable to read Class II textbooks. 

Prof G Haragopal, an educationist calls teaching an art and training a science. “But a teacher needs to have the aptitude for teaching. People take up teaching not because they like it but because they want a job. Unless, their aptitude and interest match, they can’t motivate, let alone teach students,” he said.  

“The proposed weightage for various assets are reasonable. Categorisation of teacher education institutions including other changes is also welcome. But the designing and operationalising of TeachR policy with QCI of DIPP were not very welcome. On this major policy issue, the ignorance of Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru centers for consultation process is NCTE's lapse,” said N Narayana, National Vice-President, School Teachers Federation of India (STFI).

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