MANAGING THE SYSTEM

MANAGING THE SYSTEM

This Curriculum Framework is characterised, by among other things, ample measure of flexibility and responsiveness to the needs of teacher education system in the country. Teacher education institutions and organisations at various levels will initiate the process of development of curriculum after indepth perusal of this document. The exercise has to be need-based and in tune with demands and directions of the National Policy on Education. The extent of success in implementation would largely depend on the support and assistance provided by the management system.

Imposition of a rigid and uniform management system ignoring the regional variations and cultural diversity of Indian society may not be conducive to achieving the targets of teacher education. Consultative in policy planning and decentralised implementation are bound to be more acceptable and productive. Institutional autonomy for the experimentation of innovative ideas and practices needs to be assured. This, however, would be possible only if autonomy and corresponding accountability are blended together. Accountability within the system is to be transparently reflected and judged to the extent to which it responds to the regional expectations and requirements. The system need not merely be concerned with the needs of the present but also be dynamic and forward looking.

Objectives

- to contribute effectively in development and promotion of professional efficiency among the teachers and teacher educators.

- to promote the sense of commitment and belongingness.

- to assure optimal utilisation of resources.

- to increase their general awareness about education and society.

- to enhance institutional linkages with other institutions and the society.

- to make the system functional at the optimum level.

- to correlate teacher education and manpower needs.

- to achieve a mutually supportive collaboration with different agencies engaged in human resource development and welfare activities.

- to help and participate in enhancing overall institutional efficacy.

Curriculum Planning : While developing the curriculum of teacher education, disciplinary and professional components need to be interwoven to improve the quality. An attempt of this kind will give it a more meaningful direction. The research findings in the areas of life sciences, anthropology, etc., when included in the curriculum of teacher education, will increase its relevance and make it more functional. The use of indigenous educational thought will enhance its relevance to Indian situation. Various types of dichotomies and misconceptions need to be carefully identified and subsequently weeded out from the content of studies.

The increased duration of the programme of teacher education may be properly utilised for the professional development of teachers. It would also require inclusion of additional inputs of theoretical, pedagogical and practical components and proper allocation of time and resources for improving the quality of teacher education.

Implementation Strategies : Any sudden and abrupt departure from the prevailing practices would only destabilise the existing programme and may prove to be counter-productive. The teachers must be fully exposed to philosophy and purpose of this curriculum framework. A time bound programme for its implementation should be prepared, its priorities be fixed and strategies evolved after careful planning. The gaps of the existing system be identified and removed.

In this document certain alternative models of teacher education have been proposed. It will depend on the concerned organisation/institutions to select one or the other for implementation after due consideration of its possible professional gains and availability of resources and expertise.

A favourable climate at the national level needs to be created for implementation of the recommendations. Seminars and meetings of teachers, teacher educators, administrative functionaries at the state level will have to be arranged. The regional language versions of this document will be widely circulated. The NGOs working in the field of education and other welfare activities may be involved. The meetings of Education Secretaries, DPIs, Principals of DIETs, Principals of CTEs/IASEs, Directors of SCERTs, Chairmen of Faculties of Education, Heads of Departments of Education and conveners of the Boards of studies may be arranged. Short term training programme in the form of seminars, workshops, summer schools and orientation courses may be organised. These exercises of awareness generation will prepare institutions, universities, state Govts. bodies and others to evolve specific plans of implementation in their own areas. The NCTE should take the responsibility of assisting in preparation of relevant materials. The professional association of teachers and teacher educators will have to come forward and play a constructive role for upgrading the quality of teacher education. For putting the suggestions into actual practice supplementary materials will be required in the form of teachers' guides, handbooks etc.

Role of the State : Within the educational system, there is a need of creating a separate cadre of teacher educators with an inbuilt provision for upward mobility. Such an arrangement is bound to be more professional. With improved professional competencies they would perform better as supervisors, administrators and policy planners.

Improvement in the standard of teacher education may require additional inputs in terms of money, material and manpower. Arrangements for these will have to be made and the priorities of implementation will have to be fixed. The changes which require no financial involvement should be implemented first. The optimum use of money, men and material be made by curtailing non-academic expenditure. Whenever required, adequate inputs for the professional development of teachers be made available The expenditure on education, particularly on teacher education, is an investment in nation's future.

Institutions willing to launch innovative pre-service, in-service teacher training programmes specially of long duration, should be given financial assistance over a period of time. This special assistance should come from centrally sponsored schemes.

NCTE has been mandated to ensure planned and co-ordinated development of teacher education. Since the task is massive, there is a need to revive the concept of establishment of State Boards of Teacher Education (SBTE). These Boards in close collaboration with SCERTs and NCTE may draw state level long term plans to ensure that:

- Pre-service and in-service becomes mandatory mutually re-enforcing.

- Comprehensive plans are developed for teachers at all levels so that each teacher gets an opportunity to participate in in-service programmes and undertakes continuing education programmes.

- Multi-channel learning, distance education techniques and communication technologies should be fully utilised.

- Quality study materials be developed and made available to all teacher resource centres.

Curriculum development is a continuous process and demands system approach. Merely by periodic summative evaluations, implementation of curriculum can not be assured. It needs a system view to look at all components simultaneously like curriculum structure, curriculum content, teacher training, support materials and evaluation strategies. Monitoring and feedback should become important segments of the developmental process. Each university or state board needs to evolve micro-level monitoring systems. At some stage meta-level monitoring systems be designed to ensure that quality teacher education is imparted to every serving and prospective teachers and teacher educators.