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Teacher Education

Notes highlighted teacher education as a continuum covering all stages of teacher preparation, proposed
enhanced weightage on practice and a corresponding reduction of theory and also suggested a
blending of content and methodology and engagement with the community as significant foci of
teacher education programmes. It advocated the semesterization of teacher education programmes.
It produced a new set of instructional materials on all aspects in the light of the new curriculum
framework it had produced and had a considerable influence on the academic bodies in the State
and the university system.
During late 1980s and early 1990s, the B.Ed and M.Ed programmes began to be increasingly offered
through the distance mode. Enrolments in these programmes were staggeringly high and the
instructional inputs woefully deficient which affected the quality of the programmes. Unfortunately,
the NCTE as an advisory body was unable to curb such uncontrolled commercialization of teacher
education. The demand for giving NCTE statutory powers to regulate teacher education and curb
commercialization was raised at different forums. The NPE, 1986 articulated the concern for making
NCTE a statutory body and to provide it with resource and capability to give teacher education a
new direction.
8.1.2 Establishment of NCTE as a Statutory body
The NCTE as a statutory body was established in 1995 under the National Council for Teacher
Education Act, 1993. One of its mandate was to check commercialization in teacher education. The
NCTE succeeded in not only regulating the distance education programmes but also in drastically
curtailing their reach. However, in recent years there has been proliferation of teacher education
institutions, often substandard, offering face-to-face programmes.
In the year 1995, the number of teacher education institutions/programmes was less than 2,000. This
number grew to 14,704 as on 31st March, 2011 with an intake of around 11,00,000 students. The
largest expansion has taken place in the Southern Region (5,077), followed by the Western (4,670)
and the Northern (4,258) region. This expansion of a system per se may not be objectionable but it
becomes problematic when the major part of this expansion is of poor quality institutions. It is
pertinent to note that this expansion has largely happened in the private self-financing sector.

The NCTE in consonance with the policy of liberalization and privatization in other
sectors, began to allow self-financing institutions to play a major role in teacher education,
and the result has been an unprecedented growth of such institutions, with little quality
control.

8.1.3 Powers and Functions of the NCTE.
The National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993 provides for the establishment of a National
Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) “with a view to achieving planned and coordinated
development of the teacher education system throughout the country, the regulation and proper
maintenance of norms and standards in teacher education system and for matters connected
therewith”. In order to fulfill its mandate, the NCTE Act spells out its functions under section 12,
empowers it to undertake inspections of recognized institutions under section 13, lays down
procedures for grant of recognition to various teacher education programmes offered in Teacher
Education Institutions (TEIs) under sections 14 and 15, empowers the Regional Committees under
section 17 to withdraw recognition in the event of contravention of various provisions of the Act,
and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder, and section 18 provides an opportunity to any
person aggrieved by an order under sections 14, 15 and 17 of the NCTE Act to prefer an appeal to the
Council.
To ensure effective and proper functioning of the Regional Offices, the NCTE Headquarters is
expected to continuously coordinate, monitor and supervise the work of the Regional Offices. This
is done through periodic consultation with the Regional Directors, collection of periodical progress

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