4-year, international-standard BEd programme on cards

New Delhi: From the next academic year, the Narendra Modi government is set to introduce the integrated teacher education programme,  a four-year Bachelor in Education in the country that meets international norms. Sources stated that the proposal has been approved by the Union human resource development ministry and has been forwarded to the law and justice ministry for legal vetting.    

The proposal for a four-year degree is expected to save one year of students as they can pursue the course immediately after their Class 12 examination, affecting lakhs of students. Currently, a student needs to complete a bachelors degree before embarking on a degree in education. As per the new integrated BEd programme the educational institutes imparting the course would need to have better training facilities as well as better infrastructure for the students. It is understood that the HRD ministry proposes to change the regulations under the NCTE Act and not go in for amending the legislation itself for a faster implementation of the proposed move.

Sources stated that the National Council for Teacher Education has reworked on the syllabus for the new four-year integrated BEd courses which will be offered in the following capacities: BA (BEd), BSc (BEd), BCom (BEd).

The NCTE is the statutory body that works towards regulating teaching courses in India.

As per the proposal candidates can apply for the four-year integrated teacher training programme right after completing Class 12. The new programme is expected to be formulated on the lines of other professional degree courses such as MBBS and BTech.

At present, India has over 18,000 institutes that offer BEd courses, of which, about 1000 institutes are run privately. This move is expected to streamline the sector and better the quality of BEd education in India in keeping with the new four-year BEd guidelines.

The BEd programme, as of now, is of two years duration and is also pursued through distance learning or correspondence. The BEd degree is mandatory to obtain in order to practice teaching in high schools and primary schools. The minimum qualification to apply for the current BEd programme is a Bachelor’s degree in any field from a recognised university.