The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) is in the process of finalising the ‘Revised Curriculum Framework 2010’ to be adopted by all universities with necessary changes.
While the syllabi for the B.Ed programme is common in entire Tamil Nadu owing to the presence of an exclusive university, in other States, the syllabi varies from one university to another. The ‘Revised Curriculum Framework 2010’ will accord high thrust to training programme, skill orientation, motivation, aptitude formation, and integration of computer learning skills, the Chairperson of Southern Regional Committee, NCTE, Bangalore, C. Thangamuthu, told reporters here on Sunday.
Dr. Thangamuthu felt universities must introduce B.Ed with specialisation in Elementary Education similar to the programme offered by the Delhi University and a few other universities for filling faculty positions in Teacher Training Institutions (TTI) offering Diploma in Teacher Education. At present, the focus of B.Ed is on secondary and higher secondary education. Candidates with B.Ed. in elementary education will be more competent and confident to teach in TTIs.
Tamil Nadu, he said, has set an example worthy of emulation by other States by revising the curriculum for Diploma in Teacher Education last year. Alongside testing the grasp of methodology, the revised curriculum determines the knowledge of the candidate in subject content to the extent of 50 per cent.
Dr. Thangamuthu found favour with the plea for bringing teacher education under the higher education system, pointing out that it was in accordance with the recommendation of the Kothari Commission as early as in 1964. The scope for modernisation of curriculum was more if that happens, he felt.
In the southern region that accounts for nearly fifty per cent of the country’s 13,000 TTIs and B.Ed colleges, the NCTE has withdrawn recognition for 300 institutions for want of infrastructure and adequate teaching faculties. Six hundred more colleges that have been found deficient have been given time for fulfilling the requirements, Dr. Thangamuthu said.
