Commissions and Policies in Teacher Education

Historically, India has had a strong, robust, and well-established education system. The main pillar of this education system has always been the teacher. Teacher is the one whom everybody considers as the real source of knowledge who enlightens and empowers the students with wisdom, righteousness, and self-realisation. Teachers in the Indian education system occupy the central position and the epi-centre of teaching-learning process including knowledge generation, sharing, and transmission. Decades and decades of past had made many efforts to dismantle the Indian education system along with the position of the teachers in the society but it is the teacher who stood tall and strong against all those difficult circumstances and able to perform the duties and responsibilities entrusted by the society. But, with the advent of colonial rule when aims of education were suddenly changed, the role of teacher was also changed. The new normal of education was to prepare students for the world of work rather than on developing wisdom, self-realisation, and spiritualism. As a result, a new curriculum was introduced focusing on teaching some special subjects which have economic and social relevance. Therefore, a system of education was developed where teachers were given the responsibility of teaching students to make them skilled workers who can manage offices, factories, run administration, etc. This system of education required teachers who were proficient in the art of teaching. For that, colonial rulers set up teacher training schools wherein students who opt for teaching were given intensive training on theoretical and practical inputs of teacher preparation. This legacy of training of teachers continued even today through various educational institutions normally called as teacher training colleges or more refined as teacher education colleges. Post-Independence, it was decided by our leaders and policymakers to revamp the education system and thus made many structural and functional reforms in the education system with establishment of various higher educational institutions and apex organisations controlling these educational institutions. Teacher Training was one of the areas where our leaders and policymakers intended to make changes and even, they did it as suggested by the various commissions, committees, and policy documents. But most of the recommendations and suggestions were based on what was being followed in the western countries especially USA and USSR. Initially, in first 35 years, teacher training was confined to university education departments, teacher training institutions and regional colleges of education (under NCERT) and they had full autonomy to run the teacher training programme and they followed what was being suggested by the government based on the recommendations of commissions and committee’s observation and suggestions with few exceptions in terms of innovation. Due to the absence of any apex organisation like NCTE, several experiments took place in teacher training including teacher training through distance mode in the mid-70s. But undoubtedly, it can be said that various commissions and committees that were set up mostly look the teacher training as a small part of the whole education system till the appointment of Chattopadhyay Committee (GOI (1985). Report on national commission on teacher: teachers and society, Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi.), which was especially constituted to review the status of teachers in the society and preparation of teachers for school and higher education. Immediately after Chattopadhyay Committee GOI drafted the National Policy of Education (GOI (1986). National policy on education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi.) wherein for the first time several points were highlighted with regard to the training of teachers or teacher preparation in India including curricular and structural aspects of teacher training in India. Taking no credit away from the past regarding improvement in teacher training, but post 1986 some significant and systematic changes were seen especially creating of DIET, upgradation of teacher training to teacher education colleges, university departments to IASE, etc. with full support from government. Post 1990s till 2010, three major things happened in teacher education which almost affected the quality of teacher education. Due to rapid expansion in primary education, India needed a large number of teachers. As teacher education institutions are almost handful in numbers and mostly operating in government sectors, having limited intake capacity. Therefore, it was decided to give recognition to private teacher education colleges to match the demand and supply. Moreover, NCTE that was set up as a constitutional body to look after the quality of Teacher Education failed miserably thus leading to commercialisation of teacher education. Thus, neither on the structural front nor curricular front any substantial things changed on the ground. NCF (NCERT (2005). National curriculum framework, NCERT, New Delhi.) highlighted in its document that quality of teacher education is at its lowest level as is reflected by Yashpal Committee report on Learning without Burden (GOI (1993). Learning without Burden, Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi.) showing the concern for lack of quality teachers. Finally, the NCFTE (2010) document was published by NCTE to change the structural and functional aspects of teacher education but it was in 2012 Justice Verma Committee that pointed out not only the inferior quality of teacher education but also huge commercialisation in teacher education that has been promoted in the nation. Committee pointed out that the agencies that are regulating teacher education in India have failed miserably in their duties. Based on certain recommendations, NCTE in 2014 came up with a policy of teacher education programme wherein it not only increases duration of teacher education programme but also change the functional aspect of teacher education in India. Recently in the New Education Policy, several recommendations were suggested to improve the quality of teacher education including starting a four years Integrated Teacher Education Programme. How the recent change suggested in the policy will bring change in the teacher education scenario following years will tell us but one thing is definite, i.e. whatever the suggestions given by the various commissions, committees, and policy documents for improvement in teacher education many of them have not yet seen light of the day. This chapter will discuss the important Commissions and Policies on Teacher Education in a very synoptic manner.