COIMBATORE: The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is planning to convert the current two-year BEd programmes into four-year integrated ones in a phased manner. With this aim, NCTE decided not to give permission for new BEd colleges for the next two academic years.
In order to regulate the growth of teacher education at all levels, on the basis of recommendations received from the State governments and UT administration regarding requirement of teacher education courses, the NCTE has decided not to invite or accept any application for recognition of new teacher training institutions or programmes, including additional course and increase of intake in existing recognised institutions or programmes, the academic session 2019-20, informed the Council’s member secretary Sanjay Awasthi.
This would also give the council time to properly roll out BA BEd and BSc BEd integrated (with specialisation) programmes.Elaborating on the plan, Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University Vice Chancellor S Thangasamy said, “Already, NCTE has announced that permission will not be given for new BEd colleges and additional courses in existing colleges during 2018-19 academic year. Now, the council has decided to implement the same for the 2019-20 academic year.”
“The Central government and NCTE have planned to change the present two years BEd programmes into four-year courses. This will be done in a phased manner,” he added.The NCERT is in the process of preparing curriculum for the four-year BEd programmes. Terming it as a welcome move, Thangasamy said, “The quality of teacher education will definitely improve. This will ensure that only people, who are destined to become a teacher, will opt for the programme.” It should be noted that only in 2014 NCTE had changed the earlier one-year BEd programmes into two-year programmes.