All You Need To Know About NCTE (Amendment) Act, 2017 Bill

Recently the Parliament of India accorded The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment)Act, 2017 Bill to offer one- time retrospective recognition to central and state Government funded institutions offering Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) and related courses that have not got recognition under the National Council for Teacher Education Act. The Indian Parliament on January 3, 2019, passed the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill,2018.

The Lower house, Lok Sabha, had already accorded the NCTE amendment bill on July 23, 2018. The Bill strived to amend the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993.

The Bill was introduced by the Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar in Lok Sabha on December 18, 2017. The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill would be able to save the career of over 17,000 students or teachers who have the Damocles sword hanging over their heads. It would save the future of thousands who are pursuing their B.Ed. degrees from the Institutions which are not NCTE approved under the 1993 law.

Background

The Question arises why the courses were not recognized? The HRD minister Prakash Javedekar said there were three reasons:

• a communication gap between the government and the varsity
• misunderstandings
• and negligence on the part of the college

Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javedekar said that the Government is also mulling to start an integrated four-year B.A.-B.Ed., B.Sc.-B.Ed. and B. Com-B.Ed. so that the students interested in the teaching profession can opt for this course. The minister stressed on the need of quality in the institutions offering B.Ed. courses. HRD ministry has asked the Institutions to submit affidavits recording the facilities they offer. Let us demystify on the significance of the NCTE (Amendment) Bill.

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The bill seeks to grant retrospective recognition to Central and State institutions which had conducted teacher education courses without getting approval from the Council.

• It will ensure that the future of about 17 thousand students having degrees from such Institutes will not be jeopardized.
• Around 23 State and Central universities and colleges offering B.Ed. courses were found not recognized by the Council.
• The NCTE amendment bill is an effort to amend the provisions of the NCTE Act, 1993, which was enacted to provide for the establishment of an NCTE.
• The Bill proposed a one-time measure to grant retrospective recognition or accord permission to such institutions or courses funded by the Central or State government or the Union Territory administration, and as may be notified by the Central government, which offered teacher education courses on or after the appointed day till the academic year 2017-2018.
• In order to attain the above-mentioned results, the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, has brought about this amendment.
• It proposed to amend Section 15 to grant retrospective permission to the new course or training in teacher education offered by the institutions, as may be notified by the Central government, on or after the appointed day till the academic year 2017-18.
• New Retrospective recognition of certain teacher education institutions

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The NCTE Amendment bill seeks to grant retrospective recognition to these institutions:

• Institutions notified by the central Government.
• Institutions funded by the central government.
• Institutions which do not have recognition under the Act.
• Institutions which have offered teacher education courses on or after the formation of the NCTE until the academic year 2017-18.

Institutions like South Bihar Central University, Sagar central University, Jharkhand Central University, Pondicherry Central University, Aligarh Muslim University Murshidabad, Sikkim Central University, Manipal Central University and the Banaras Hindu University who B.Ed. courses were not approved will be recognized after this amendment.

The NCTE amendment bill also seeks to accord retrospective permission to start a new course or training in teacher education to these institutions:

• Institutions notified by the central government.

• Institutions funded by the central government or state/union territory government

• Institutions which have fulfilled certain conditions required for the start of a new course or training in teacher education.

• Institutions which have offered teacher education courses on or after the formation of the NCTE until the academic year 2017-2018.

What is the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)

The National Council for Teacher Education, in its early days of 1973, was an advisory body for the Central and State Governments on all matters concerning to teacher education, with its Secretariat in the Department of Teacher Education of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). Despite its admirable work in the academic fields, it could not perform essential regulatory functions, to ensure minimum maintenance of standards in teacher education and preventing the proliferation of substandard teacher education institutions. The National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 and the Programme of Action thereunder, envisioned a National Council for Teacher Education with statutory status and necessary resources as a first step for refurbishing the system of teacher education. The National Council for Teacher Education as a statutory body came into existence in an enactment of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993 on the 17th of August,1995.

National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) Act, 1993

The NCTE Act, 1993 was passed in 1995 and is applicable to all parts of India, except for Jammu and Kashmir. The Act establishes the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).  The NCTE plans and manages the development of the teacher education system throughout the country. It also makes sure the maintenance of norms and standards in the teacher education system. In order to facilitate the objectives of the Act, separate provisions have been made in the Act for recognizing teacher education courses and to put down guidelines for agreement by recognized Institutions/Universities. It is responsible for regulating the quality of educators and education dispensed in India. The mandate given to the NCTE is very comprehensive and covers the whole gamut of teacher education programmes including research and training of persons for nurturing them to teach at pre-primary, primary, secondary and senior secondary stages in schools, and non-formal education, adult education, part-time education and distance (correspondence) education courses.

NCTE has headquartered at New Delhi and four Regional Committees at Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, and Jaipur to look after its statutory responsibilities.

Functions of NCTE The Council

A. undertakes surveys and studies related to various aspects of teacher education and publish the result thereof;

B. Put down guidelines in respect of minimum qualifications for a person to be employed as a teacher in schools or in recognized institutions;

C. co-ordinate and supervise teacher education and its development in the country;

D. makes recommendations to the Central and State Government, Universities, University Grants Commission and recognized institutions in the matter of preparation of suitable plans and programmes in the field of teacher education;

E. lay down guidelines for compliance by recognized institutions, for starting new courses or training, and for providing physical and instructional facilities, staffing pattern and staff qualification;

F. lay down norms for any specified category of courses or training in teacher education, including the minimum eligibility criteria for admission thereof, and the method of selection of candidates, duration of the course, course contents and mode of the curriculum;

G. lay down standards in respect of examinations leading to teacher education qualifications, criteria for admission to such examinations and schemes of courses or training.

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H. promotes and conduct innovation and research in various areas of teacher education and disseminate the results thereof;

I. lay down guidelines regarding tuition fees and other fees chargeable by recognized institutions;

J. evolves suitable performance appraisal system, norms, and mechanism for enforcing accountability on recognized institutions;

K. examines and review periodically the implementation of the norms, guidelines, and standards laid down by the Council, and to suitably advise the recognized institution;

L. formulates schemes for various levels of teacher education and identify recognized institutions and set up new institutions for teacher development programmes;

M. evolves suitable performance appraisal system, norms, and mechanism for enforcing accountability on recognized institutions;

N. takes all necessary steps to prevent commercialization of teacher education; and

O. perform such other functions as may be entrusted to it by the Central Government.

Programmes Recognised by NCTE

NCTE notified revised Regulations and Norms and Standards on November 28, 2014, for the following Teacher Education Programmes:

A. Diploma in early childhood education programme leading to Diploma in Preschool Education (DPSE).

B. Elementary teacher education programme leading to Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.).

C. Bachelor of elementary teacher education programme leading to the Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.) degree.

D. Bachelor of education programme leading to a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree.

E. Master of education programme leading to the Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree.

F. Diploma in physical education programme leading to a Diploma in Physical Education (D.P.Ed.).

G. Bachelor of physical education programme leading to the Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P.Ed.) degree.

H. Master of physical education programme leading to the Master of Physical Education (M.P.Ed.) degree.

I. Diploma in elementary education programme through Open and Distance Learning System leading to Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.).

J. Bachelor of education programme through Open and Distance Learning System leading to Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree.

K. Diploma in arts education (Visual Arts) programme leading to a Diploma in Arts Education (Visual Arts).

L. Diploma in arts education (Performing Arts) programme leading to a Diploma in Arts Education (Performing Arts).

M. 4-year Integrated programme leading to B.A.B.Ed./B.Sc.B.Ed. degree.

N. Bachelor of education programme 3-year (Part Time) leading to a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree.

O. 3-year Integrated programme leading to B.Ed., M.Ed (Integrated) degree.