The document discusses the evolution and importance of teacher education, emphasizing that effective teaching requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and practical experience. It highlights the gaps between theory and classroom needs and outlines various challenges faced in teacher education programs in India, including funding issues, inadequate preparation, and a need for updated curricula. The necessity for ongoing reforms and greater accountability in teacher education to meet the demands of modern education is also stressed.

2. By learning you will teach, by teaching
you will learn
Latin proverb.

3.  In early times, teachers were often scholars or clergymen who
had no formal training in how to teach the subjects of their
expertise.
 In fact, many believed that "teachers were born, not made." It
was not until the emergence of pedagogy, the "art and science
of teaching," as an accepted discipline that the training of
teachers was considered important.
 It is well known saying that teacher is the nation builder. To be
able to discharge such a high responsibility, it is very
necessary that the teacher must become conscious of his role
towards society.

4. Most educational programs for teachers today focus upon these
points.
It has generally been agreed,
at least since the 19th
century, that certain
characteristics are needed to
qualify a person as a
teacher:
 Knowledge of the subject
matter to be taught,
 Knowledge of teaching
methods.
 Practical experience in
applying both.

5.  Today teaching is a profession requiring specialization in
terms of knowledge and skills.
 There exists a wide gap between theory and the knowledge
and skills of teaching required in the actual classroom
curriculum transaction.
 For this reason, a routine-bound teacher cannot act in
accordance with the emerging needs unless he or she is trained
and frequently oriented. One of the most important
requirements to promote and strengthen education is the
training of teachers.

6.  Teacher education refers to the policies and procedures
designed to equip teachers with the knowledge, attitudes,
behaviours, and skills they require to perform their tasks
effectively in the school and classroom.
 The development of the standard of education is closely
connected with the question of teacher education.
 The skills and competencies can be developed through
systematic approach to revitalize and modernize “Teacher
Education Programme”.

7.  A teacher education is
not just a graduate or
post graduate or even
one armed with a
doctoral degree aspiring
for a job to make his
both ends meet.
Teaching is a service
oriented profession
which requires a will to
sacrifice.

8.  A UNESCO publication, The Changing Role of the Teacher,
states: 'There was a time when the teacher's role was to pass
down to the younger generation the knowledge, experiences
and mythology of a slowly evolving society. The modern
teacher must be, among other things, a change-agent. It does
not matter whether one is addressing the situation in a
developing country or an industrialized nation, the problem
remains the same.

9.  The Government of India realized the
importance of Teacher Education as a
result of which many reforms were
brought out particularly after
independence.
 During 1947- 48 only 511 institutions
existed at the secondary stage where as the
number of 2000 at present.
 The same way more than 50 lakh teachers
and thirty five thousand (35000) teacher
educators are working in school and
training institutions.

10.  In general, India, does not experience shortages of school
teachers but there are shortages in particular subject fields and
locations, such as in the areas of mathematics, and science,
especially in remote areas.
 Quality and excellence in the education sector is one of the
major initiatives of the Government of India in its plans.
 To achieve the outcome of enhanced quality at all levels of
education, Govt. of India has been focusing its attention on
quality and excellence in higher education and teacher
education.

11. One of the most important requirements to promote and
strengthen education is the training of teachers who are the
key resources in the reform, redirection and renewal of
education. Government of India has formed some
organisation bodies for improving teacher education:
 National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
 National Council of Educational Research and Training
(NCERT).
 National University for Educational Planning &
Administration (NUEPA).
 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET).
 State Council of Educational Research and training (SCERT)

12. There are many problems and issues plaguing the system of
teacher education. Teacher preparation has been a subject of
discussion at all levels, from the government, ministries,
regulatory bodies, schools, to teachers themselves. Major
problems of teacher education are:
 Institutions lacking in uniformity.
 Poor standard with respect to resource for colleges of
education.
 Unhealthy financial condition of the colleges of education
 Incompetent teacher educators resulting in deficiency of
scholars.

13.  Negative attitude of managements towards development of
both human as well as material resources.
 Uniform education policy of the government treating all
institutions alike.
 Improper selection of the candidates (student teachers) to
be admitted.
 Traditional curriculum and teaching methods of teaching in
the teacher education programme.
 Inadequate duration of the teacher programme.

14.  Haphazard and improper organization of teacher
education.
 Unplanned and insufficient co-curricular activities.
 Subjective evaluation pattern.
 Practice teaching neither adequate nor properly
conducted.
 Feedback mechanisms lacking.
 Objectives of teacher education not understood.
 Lack of dedication towards the profession.
 Lack of occupational perception.

15.  There should be greater transparency in the funding of
teacher education.
 Staff appraisal systems and the use of peer observation
in schools are still in development.
 Teacher evaluation seems to place more emphasis on
professional duties/ responsibilities than on actual
classroom teaching practices.
 Teacher-centred strategies and pedagogy still dominate
in the classroom .
 Advance technologies have also posed an issue for
future educators.

16.  There is a relatively large variation among schools in the area
of instruction, particularly concerning independent student
practice, questioning skills, and teacher expectations for
student achievement .
 There is a need to explore the development of performance-
based evaluation or developmental teacher evaluation systems
for the purposes of teacher evaluation .
 There is a mismatch between teacher education programmes
and the availability of teachers in different
subjects/geographical areas and for special groups (tribal and
socially-deprived groups).

17.  The profession is not able to attract higher calibre graduates
from the universities and Boards of Secondary Education.
Low salaries and poor living conditions in rural areas are
considered responsible.
 Induction programmes are not available.
 For Special education teachers, learning how to effectively
convey subject content is as important as learning this
information. Special education teachers must be taught how
information, especially more advanced and complex subject
material, can be effectively taught to students in non-
traditional ways .

18. Walter E. Hager (Chairman of council on corporation in
teacher education) asserts that , “ conflict regarding
some of these issues is becoming so great that we can
hardly hope to do really good work in preparing
teachers until the issues are resolved”.

19.  Value education should be given to teachers
 Curriculum of teacher education programme should be
revised from time to time according to changing needs of
society.
 The quality of teacher education programme should be up
graded.
 Teacher education programme should be raised to a university
level and the duration of programme should be appropriately
enhanced.
 Teacher education institutions should be put under strict
control of this regulatory body for the selection of teacher,
students and provisions of good infrastructure etc.

20.  Institutions working should be examined from time to
time and strict action should be taken of they fail to come
up to expected level.
 Teacher education programmes should enables the
teachers to develop there life skills among students.
 New knowledge and new experiences should be
incorporated in the curriculum and there should be a
scope for teachers for reflection of knowledge.
 The impact of science and technology and ICT on society
and education should be fully discussed in teacher
educations institution.

21. Teacher education is a difficult assignment, especially at the
present stage where teacher education programmes are being
delivered by a large number of unaided private teacher
education institutions. But there are some questions that needs
answering-
 Are we expecting too much from teachers, especially from
elementary teachers?
 How much professional preparation for teacher is needed in
addition to, or along with the mastery of subject or subjects to
be taught?
 Is professional preparation is something that can be given in a
semester or two ?