CHENNAI:Sounding a warning note to standalone teacher training colleges and institutes that are not affiliated to any university and are thus empowered to award only diplomas, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) told the institutions to strictly comply with the regulations framed by the council.
The regulations framed in 2014 mandate that these colleges must become composite if they are single-course institutes at present, failing which they may be abolished, said Santosh Panda, chairperson of the council.
At a round table-cum-workshop on NCTE regulations and curriculum framework on teacher education programmes organised by the NCTE and Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University on Sunday, Panda said that the standalone colleges offering a single course in teachers’ education should introduce another course either in teachers’ education or other disciplines within 2016-17.
Teachers sought an extension of the deadline as there was a shortage in infrastructure, funds and faculty. Panda agreed to negotiate on the proposed deadline.The council had brought in a new set of regulations that was to be effective from December 1. Teacher training institutions were to give an undertaking that they would meet the revised norms in 21 days, which was challenged before the Madras High Court. The council had then informed the court that it would implement the new regulations after the court disposed of the petition.
Panda appealed to the teaching colleges to withdraw the petition they had filed, advising them to implement the norms and then approach the NCTE with any queries that they might have.
Assuring negotiations on the concerns raised, details of the proposed two-year BEd and MEd courses, as opposed to the existing one-year programme, were explained.