Teacher training- an essential component of NEP

Teacher Training is essential for NEP implementation

The NEP 2020 aims to bring about a paradigm shift in the education scenario of the country. Features like holistic education, multi- disciplinary approach, a flexible curriculum, etc have been incorporated and subsequently discussed threadbare and there are signs of a positive outcome , with schools across the country trying out novel methods to bring about these changes. Emphasis on imparting essential skills, the use of technology in education, competency-based assessment system are all aims of the current policy and the adoption of all these will certainly help to bring about a positive change in the standard of education.

   Of all the key features, the aspect of “teacher- training” is the most important, one should assume. After all, it is the teachers who are in the driving seat of the whole school system. Except for a small percentage comprising mainly of progressive urban schools where in-service training is a regular feature, the bulk of the teaching community in the country is sadly lacking in the requisite qualifications necessary to shape  future generations. This is not to find fault with the teachers themselves. There is a general perception that anybody can become a teacher if he/she has a basic degree. This is not entirely correct. As with any other job, this one also requires proper training. Aptitude is as important as knowledge, for it takes a special affinity to handle children in order to become a successful teacher. Teacher training institutions are limited in number, and even where they do exist, the skills imparted are still the traditional teacher-centric methods that find favour with most schools in the semi-urban and rural areas. In the past decade or so, many NGOs have been doing yeoman service trying to hand-hold schools and their teachers and persuade them to adopt newer strategies to impart education. Nevertheless, a lot remains to be done by the authorities to uplift the community of teachers, to enable them to adapt to change in order to make the teaching learning process move in tune with the requirements of the modern world.

 A few broad based suggestions in this regard would be as follows:

a)        Increase the number of teacher-training institutes with regular qualified staff and B. Ed colleges across the country.

b)      Employ stringent rules of admission to these colleges similar to those of other professional courses ( Aptitude is as vital as knowledge as far as the teaching profession is concerned).

c)       Offer incentives to those in the teaching community by raising their salary-scales to attract the best talent. (Teachers are deemed to be the most poorly paid sections in today’s society).

d)      Limit the number of students in a class and adopt a system of having teaching assistants in each class, so that each child gets individual attention and it becomes possible to incorporate all the changes that are recommended by the Commission.

e)      Make available the space and resources necessary for a healthy flourishing of the student community.

All of the other recommendations as spelt out by the NEP are achievable only when  teachers are equipped with the necessary skills to address these factors and can confidently function without being coerced into narrow traditional modes of teaching. For Teachers of Tomorrow to become as vibrant a community as the present IT professionals, or doctors or engineers, it is essential that some serious thought is given to the making of good teachers.