BHUBANESWAR: Aspirants for teacher jobs willing to pursue masters in Education (MEd) only have two options in Odisha now. With yet another academic year approaching, there is no clear picture yet on National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) approval to MEd courses being offered by five government-run teacher education colleges.
There are only seven institutes that offer two-year MEd course in Odisha and NCTE recognition to five was withdrawn for 2020-21 academic session due to lack of adequate number of teachers and infrastructure.
These institutes are Dibakar Patnaik Institute of Advanced Studies in Education at Berhampur, Dr Parsuram Mishra Institute of Advanced Studies in Education in Sambalpur, Naba Krushna Choudhury College of Teacher Education at Angul, Nalini Devi Women's College of Teacher Education in Bhubaneswar and Radhanath Institute of Advanced Studies in Education in Cuttack.
The colleges are affiliated to Sambalpur, Berhampur and Utkal universities with each having a student strength of 50. The recognition is yet to be restored, as against the requirement of a minimum 10 faculty members the colleges have just five to seven.
Dibakar Patnaik Institute, for instance, has seven faculty members but five of them were hired on part-time basis. The remaining two institutes which are now offering the course are Utkal University and Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan (deemed university) at Puri.
The Higher Education department recently notified OMR-based entrance tests to both BEd and MEd courses in Teacher Education Institutes for the 2022-24 session. While the entrance exam for BEd will be held on July 31, the date for MEd has not been notified.
Sources in the Higher Education department said the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) has been asked to recruit the required number of teachers to the colleges as per NCTE guidelines and the process in on.
"Faculty members in four subjects have been finalised by OPSC and we are hopeful that more appointments will be made before the MEd entrance examination. Also, the NCTE has been appealed to give approval to MEd courses in these colleges," said a higher official.
Meanwhile, the department has asked all the teacher education colleges (both BEd and MEd) which are currently operational with NCTE approval to apply for NAAC accreditation.