The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ during a Lok Sabha session on Monday, July 08, 2019 informed about steps taken by the government to boost the teaching profession in India. The Central Government has introduced a 4-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) for pre-service training, to offer graduation in Primary and Secondary Education. The applications in the programme have been invited since June 03, 2019. The ITEP will be conducted through National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), in all states and union territories.
Initiatives taken by the central government to improve the quality of education:
1. The Central Government has launched an Integrated Scheme for School Education – Samagra Shiksha, from 2018-19 which subsumes the erstwhile centrally sponsored schemes of
- Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA),
- Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)
- Teacher Education (TE).
Under Samagra Shiksha, funds are given to all states and union territories for various interventions to improve the quality of education such as training of in-service teachers, headmasters and principals, remedial teaching for academically weaker students, provision of library grants to schools, ICT and digital initiatives, strengthening of teacher education institutions, Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat, etc.
2. In order to focus on quality education, the central rules to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act have been amended to include a reference on class-wise, subject-wise learning outcomes for all elementary classes.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) conducted a National Achievement Survey, under which learning outcomes of students were evaluated, through a district level sampling and gaps were identified.
3. The Government of India will be participating in the Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) to be conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2021.
4. Approval has been given for conducting a Census-based audit called Shagunotsav of all government and government-aided schools in all states and union territories. Further, in 2019-20 approval has been given for conducting a School-Based Assessment (SBA) of all elementary stage students, to evaluate learning outcomes.
5. The online DElEd course was started from October 03, 2017 and 9,58,513 teachers have successfully completed the training.
6. MHRD has designed 70 indicators based matrix Performance Grading Index (PGI) to grade the states and union territories. To collect timely and accurate data, an Educational Management Information System called UDISE+ (UDISE plus) has been launched in 2018-19.
7. In 2019-20, approval has been given for setting up youth and eco club in all government schools across the country. In order to experience and celebrate the rich cultural diversity of India and to encourage experimental learning, Rangotsav was organized in schools in 2018-19.
[“source=indiatoday”]
