The Union Cabinet has cleared an amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, to ensure that all teachers in position as on March 31, 2015, acquire the minimum qualifications till March 31, 2019.
“This will enable the in-service, untrained elementary teachers to complete their training and ensure that all teachers at the elementary level have a certain minimum standard of qualifications,” said a release.
“This would also ensure that all teachers would attain minimum qualifications as considered necessary to maintain the standard of teaching quality.”
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Improvement in learning
Better trained teachers would mean an improvement in the learning outcomes of children, it is believed.
“The RTE Act... envisages free and compulsory elementary education to every child in the age group of 6-14. The Proviso to Section 23(2) of the Act specifies that all teachers at elementary level who, at the commencement of this Act, did not possess the minimum qualifications as laid down under the RTE Act, need to acquire these within a period of five years i.e., March 31, 2015,” the release said.
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“However, several State governments have reported that out of a total number of 66.41 lakh teachers at the elementary level, 11 lakh are still untrained [of these, 5.12 lakh are in government and aided Schools and 5.98 lakh are in private schools]. In order to ensure that all teachers acquire the minimum qualifications prescribed by the academic authority, it is necessary to carry out appropriate amendment to the RTE Act, 2009 to extend the period for such training for four years up to March 31, 2019.”