Syllabi for teachers training needs a review
Though the Right to Education promises free and compulsory education, it is doubtful whether kids will be in the good hands or not. With majority of the younger generation rushing to get jobs in the industry, the teaching profession is left open and unmanned. On the other hand, those who are in the teaching profession fail to acknowledge conditions like dyslexia and autism among students and are inefficient to tackle children who are specially-abled. Due to this, educationists fear that race of good teachers is on the verge of extinction.
According to experts, the flaws in teacher training programmes are also a major factor behind poor teaching standards. In a Times Of India, Anil Sadgopal, All India Forum for Right to Education and former dean, faculty of education, Delhi University feels that teacher education courses like B.Ed and D.Ed are still based on the British lesson plan model of 1890s. As outdated and obsolete as they are, they are ineffective in the context of the child. India being a country which is hierarchically divided into class, caste, religion and gender, no teacher can teach without being aware of the implications of this social reality.
According to pre-school educationist, Purnima Contractor, play schools have burgeoned everywhere with the emergence of nuclear families. This demands qualified teachers, increasing the need for training courses. She feels that if a one-year full-time course can hardly cover the basics of child development, methodology and curriculum planning, a two-month course is extremely inadequate.
TOI report says Lesley Young, a teacher for 39 years, who have taken a two-year training course covers only covered subjects like hand writing and pronunciation. She shares an experience where a child in her class who fell asleep almost daily. Instead of reprimanding him, she interacted with him and found out his areas of interest. Other serious issues bothering the students include divorced parents, sibling rivalry or violence at home, she added. (Read more)
Moreover, teachers lack the enthusiasm, spirit, expertise and the ability to deal with different types of students. (Read more). Above all these, there have been many cases of corporal punishment inflicted to students in schools, which generally involves physically abusing, beating the students, making them stand for hours with their hands up, making them kneel down and much more. Teachers should also be trained on how to discipline their students in a non-violent manner. Even if the India government has banned corporal punishment in schools, this practice stills prevails in many schools. (Read full discussion)
On a positive note, there are a few courses that offer the needful. DU's Bachelor of Elementary Education, a four-year degree programme prepares teachers to understand the problems of students from various socio-economic backgrounds.
It is questionable why after all these years we are asking for Right to Education. Do you think teachers need to be trained in soft skills? Share your thoughts here
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