CHENNAI: Nearly one-tenth of school teachers in India do not hold an undergraduate degree, reveals a recent report on quality of teaching in schools by the Union Human Resources Ministry.
The report, titled ‘Characteristics of Teachers’ and based on studies by various agencies between 2012-13 and 2015-16, was released by Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), a scheme to bolster secondary education in India. Questionnaires were given to teachers in select government-funded schools to asking their educational qualification along with several other parameters.
The results came as a shocker. Nearly 14 percent middle school teachers were not graduates and a significant number of teachers among them haven’t even cleared their Class XII Board exams, the report said.
Even among teachers who have completed graduation, they do not teach the subject in which they graduated. For example, nearly 30 per cent of Maths teachers who hold a degree did not study Maths in college. Similarly, about a quarter of science teachers did not study science in college. Calling this practice of allowing teachers to handle subjects outside their area of expertise as “wastage of talent or educational knowledge”, the report suggested a need for a systematic way to recruit teachers for subjects in which they are trained to make the best out of their qualifications.
The report went on to stress the need for professional training (B.Ed, M.Ed or equivalent) as nearly ten to 15 per cent of mathematics and science teachers taught students without having any form of teacher training. Retired Professor, District Institute of Education and Training, New Delhi, Madhu Prasad said that there was no point blaming the teachers unless the Centre stops appointing ‘para teachers’ for meagre salaries (`3,000 to `8,000 monthly) with no eligibility criteria at rural schools where poor study and strengthen government teacher training institutes
However Tamil Nadu was among the very few states which have a standard selection mechanism in place. Ten years back, any individual with a Diploma in Teacher Education (after completing Class X) were eligible for teaching elementary and middle school students.
After the Right to Education Act, 2009 came into play, Tamil Nadu revised the norms and made a pass in Teacher Eligibility Test mandatory (on completion of Class XII exams). “However, teachers who were appointed prior to this amendment, continue to serve in most government schools,” said Michael Raj from Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Teachers Association (TNPGTA). He added that only on their retirement the post gets vacant and a B.Ed candidate (after completing a degree) will be appointed.
However, a senior School Education Department official said that the Tamil Nadu RMSA conducts special training sessions for these teachers to enhance their language skills and equip them in handling Activity Based Learning methods and other modules introduced as a part of the Samacheer Kalvi system since 2009.