'Imparting D.EI.Ed training to untrained teachers a big challenge'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 06 2018: National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), Department of Education (S) and Department of State Council for Educational Research Training jointly organised a one-day orientation programme on NIOS's D.EI.Ed Program for Study Centers' Coordinators at SCERT office at Lamphelpat today.

The programme was attended by RK Bijen Singh, State Coordinator (NIOS); Dr Rajendra Kumar Nayak, Academic Officer, NIOS HQ; Dr M Meenakumari, Director, SCERT; Prof SVS Chaudhury, retired Professor, SOE, IGNOU and T Geetchandra Sharma, Additional Director of Education (S) as presidium members.

Addressing the gathering, Meenakumari said that the goals and mission of SCERT Manipur is to improve the quality of school education and teacher education and by the commencement of the RTE Act, 2009, SCERT has been executing its responsibility as an academic authority in the State since 2010.She informed that untrained teachers at elementary stage are mandated by the RTE Act to undergo trainings like Diploma in Elementary Education (D.EI.Ed) for purely untrained teacers and anothe is 6 months Special Teacher Training in Elementary Education recognised by the NCTE exclusively for the in-service teachers of primary stage, who possessed B.Ed degree.

She said that the Directorate initiated to imparting the mandatory training to un-trained elementary in-service teachers since 2013 to fulfil the mandates of the RTE Act in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.

In the same year, only 6583 untrained teachers were identified working under the Directorate of School Education and Directorate of TA & Hills for undergoing the course of Diploma in Elementary Education, she conveyed.

Meenakumari maintained that the Directorate had also offered the 6 months Special Teacher Training in Elementary Education recognised by the NCTE as an innovative course through DIETs and trained 412 teachers in the year 2015 as one time measure to fulfil the mandate of the RTE Act.

For the same course curriculum,, syllabus and reading materials were developed by SCERT, which is a great achievement of the State, she claimed.

She reminded that any teacher who does not have the minimum qualification man- dated under the RTE Act would not be allowed to continue in service beyond April 1, 2019 and procedure for dismissal shall be initiated against such teachers.

A total of 25407 teachers have registered/enrolled to NIOS for the mandatory training.

The Directorate had organised a series of consultative meet for the head of the institutes of the study centres from December 4 to 6 at SCERT multipurpose hall, she informed.

She said that it is a big challenge of the State to impart mandatory training to all the untrained elementary in-service teachers within March 31, 2019 in 256 study centers with effectiveness for obtaining quality education at elementary education.

Observing that all the concerned stakeholders need to monitor on regular basis at various levels, she expressed hope that after March 31, 2019 onwards some significant improvement in teaching learning process and students performance in all the curricular and co-curricular areas will be enhanced.

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