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Teacher Education

Notes from ground realities as well as the aims of education they espouse. Such an intellectual isolation
actively discourages educational theorisation and the growth of disciplinary and interdisciplinary
enquiry.
Self Assessment
2. State whether the following statements are 'True' or 'False':
(i) There is a great need to bring greater convergence between professional preparations and
continuing professional development of teachers at all stages of schooling.
(ii) There is no need to upgrade initial teacher education by enhancing the entry qualification
and duration of training making it equivalent to a degree programme.
(iii) This necessary that plus two entry level does not equip prospective teachers with basic
knowledge of the subjects to teach at the elementary level.
(iv) Elementary education and easily childhood education has been given a great importance
as distant areas of knowledge with their own distinct concerns, concepts and
methodological perspectives.

30.6 Contemporary Context and Concerns that need to inform Teacher
Education Reform

30.6.1 Inclusive Education
We have seen two kinds of exclusion prevalent in schools largely because of an inadequate
preparation of teachers to address diversity in the classroom. The first is the exclusion of the
children with disabilities of different kinds and learning difficulties. Neither does the teacher
understand their needs nor what s/he can do to make learning possible for them. The Persons
with Disabilities (PWD) (Equal Opportunities, Protection and Full Participation) Act, 1996 provides
for free and compulsory education up to the age of 18 years for all children with disabilities. To
enable the implementation of this Act, teacher education institutions will need to reframe their
programme courses to include the perspective, concept and strategies of inclusive education.
The second and more insidious pattern of exclusion is the social exclusion of children who come
from socially and economically deprived backgrounds Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes
(STs), minority and other communities, girls and children with diverse learning needs. There is
a dire need to equip teachers to overcome their biases in this regard and to develop professional
capacities to address these challenges. The education of socially and economically disadvantaged
groups, especially the SCs/STs and minorities has remained a primary national concern of
education for several years. Though the literacy percentage among the SCs and STs has increased
manifold, it is still much lower than the general category students. Teachers will have to be
equipped if social deprivation has to be overcome through education and Constitutional goals of
social justice are to be achieved.
Inclusive education refers to a philosophical position as well as an arrangement of institutional
facilities and processes. This is to ensure access to and conditions of success in education for
everybody, including those in the margins, either with learning difficulties because of physical
or mental disabilities or because of their social position. The aim is to create an integrated school
setting, providing equal opportunities to children with special abilities, varied social backgrounds
and diverse learning needs.
Teachers need to be quipped to sensitively bring and include girls in the classroom transaction.
It is necessary that teachers who teach and manage the classroom are sensitized and made aware
of the philosophy of inclusive education and oriented to the different kinds of adjustments that
schools have to make in terms of infrastructure, curriculum, teaching methods and other school
practices to relate teaching to the needs of all learners.

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