NCTE's new draft policy looks at overhauling teacher training

The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) today put out a draft regulatory framework 'TeachR' aimed at overhauling teacher training institutes in the country.
Unlike the earlier policy which focused on physical infrastructure of educational institutions, the new framework gives 10 per cent weightage to physical assets, 20 per cent to academic assets, 30 per cent for teacher transactions and 40 per cent for students learning outcomes.
"NCTE had sought feedback from various stakeholders in six open consultations in Patna, Mumbai, Kochi, Jaipur, Guwahati and Delhi. The final consultation on the new draft will be in Bhubaneshwar on July 25," NCTE Chairman A Santhosh Mathew said.

NCTE, a statutory body under the Ministry of Human Resource, aims to roll-out the new policy in the second week of August, he said.
The new draft also proposes to rank Teacher Education Institutes (TEI) in 'A, B, C and D' categories. Fraudulent institutions will be put under D category and may be asked to shut down with immediate effect.
"Institutions belonging to category C - who fail to achieve an aggregate score in physical assets, academic assets, teacher transactions and students learning outcomes - will be given a year's time to take corrective measures," Mathew said.

The Quality Council of India (QCI), an agency of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), has been working with NCTE for designing and operationalising TeachR policy.

As part of overhauling the teacher training system, the NCTE will be digitising the accreditation process of its regional centres, which were shut down recently.
"We have digitised the accreditation process and anyone can apply for it online, unlike earlier, when people had to visit the regional centres. The step will also help in checking corruption," Mathew said.