National Education Policy 2020: Efforts to upgrade standards & qualifications of teachers

Bringing in new reforms in education for the first time since 1986, the National Education Policy (NEP) announced by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday aims at upgrading the existing qualifications and education for teachers. A key highlight of the NEP includes establishing a common guiding set of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) to be developed by 2022, by the National Council for Technical Education (NCTE). The policy has also stated that the NCTE will be restructured as a Professional Standard Setting Body (PSSB) under a General Education Council (GEC). 

The national policy highlights that teacher education will be gradually moved into multidisciplinary colleges and universities by 2030 and pushing the minimum degree qualification for teaching to a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree by 2030.

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Here are key highlights of the NEP pertaining to teaching and its qualifications: 

• 2-year B.Ed. programmed to be offered to those who have already obtained a Bachelor's Degree in other specialized subjects 
• Adapted 1-year B.Ed. programmes for those who have completed the equivalent of 4-year multidisciplinary Bachelor’s Degrees or who have obtained a Master’s degree in a speciality
• ODL accredited institutions may offer high-quality B.Ed. programmes
• All B.Ed. programmes to include training in recent techniques of pedagogy with respect to foundational literacy and numeracy, multi-level teaching and evaluation, teaching children with disabilities, teaching children with special interests or talents, use of educational technology, and learner-centred and collaborative learning
• Special shorter local teacher education programmes to be introduced as well 
• Regulatory System shall be allowed to take stringent action against substandard and dysfunctional teacher education institutions (TEIs)
• National Mission for Mentoring to be established

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National Education Policy, 2020

The National Education Policy 2020 introduced by the Centre allows a higher flexibility in higher education and renames the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to the Ministry of Education. A committee led by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief Dr. K Kasturirangan formed the Draft National Education Policy 2019 on the foundational pillars of 'Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability.' The new NEP replaces the one formulated in 1986. Rolling out the new features for Higher education, Union Secretary (Higher Education) said that India aims to achieve 50% Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) by 2035. The new policy also regulates the fee structure under a broad regulatory framework.

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