NCTE special course to give fillip to teachers education

​Hyderabad: In a bid to give a professional edge to the teachers’ education, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has announced a four-year integrated teacher education programme (ITEP).

For the purpose of introducing the ITEP, the NCTE has notified the National Council for Teacher Education (Recognition, Norms and Procedure) Amendment Regulations, 2018. Accordingly, the new course will be introduced for those who have completed Senior Secondary Level (SSL), equivalent to 10+2 or Intermediate course.

Following these changes, the ITEP will come in two streams, a four-year course for teachers from pre-primary to primary and another four-year ITEP course for teachers of upper primary to secondary school levels. Further, the two streams of courses will be offered in arts and science streams separately.

According to NCTE, the new programme is intended to prepare committed professional teachers and hopes to bring a paradigm shift in teacher preparation.

The curriculum of the four-year course is designed to inculcate the world's best practices in the field of teacher education sector.

And, it is a specialised course with the intrinsic integration of pedagogy and content, along with sustained engagement with liberal disciplines of knowledge and field of education. Besides, it provides an opportunity for vertical mobility of teachers through this programme, it said. 

The programme will be offered in the existing composite institutions recognised by the NCTE as per the regulations of 2014. The programme also permits sharing of existing physical resources in other departments of the university or college or composite teacher education institution.

The four-year course comprising of eight semesters, includes field-based experiences, teaching practice and internship. And, the maximum period to complete the course is six years from the date of admission into the course. 

Further, the students should put in an attendance of 80 per cent during their course. Each semester shall have at least 125 working days and a minimum of 840 working hours, excluding the period of examinations and admissions. The total working hours spread over a week shall be 40 hours. 

Each class will comprise of 50 students and the institutions are permitted to offer courses either in the arts or science streams, or both, depending on the fulfilment of the infrastructure, qualified teaching staff and others, it said. 

Admissions into the course are either based on the marks obtained in the SSL or through an entrance examination or any other selection process as per the policy of the university or State government, it said.