DEd institutes under scrutiny

BANGALORE: Mushrooming of Diploma in Education institutions in the state is causing concern to the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). There are about 900 such colleges even though officials say there is less demand for the DEd course. What's particularly worrying is the quality of training in these institutions.
NCTE says 16 DEd institutions were allowed in 2006-07 and the number shot up to 305 in 2007-08 .This year so far, there are 49 applications from Karnataka . NCTE regional director B Krishna Reddy told TOI: "Verification of institutions includes checking of infrastructure and human resources. Only after satisfying all the norms will they be granted recognition." He said the number includes new institutions seeking permission and existing colleges seeking recognition for their DEd course.
Reddy feels the increase in applications is because of flexibility in regulations. "According to 2002 regulations, NCTE allowed institutions to start in rented buildings but on condition that they switch to permanent premises within three years. NCTE also encouraged more institutions so that more trained teachers would be available. However, changed regulations in 2005 permitted institutions to lease buildings without the three-year stipulation and this led to an increase in applications," he said.
Reddy pointed out: "We have come out with strict regulations, where for starting an institution , they should own the land and building,'' he added.
Reddy said institutions granted permission in 2002 have shifted to permanent buildings and action would be taken against those who have not complied with this rule. "We want to improve quality. A committee is reviewing the existing regulations, norms and standards," he said, adding that the demand for the DEd course has declined.
Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) director M N Baig said the state is producing more DEd graduates than required . "The annual requirement of government primary teachers is around 5,000. Even if we consider 1,000 more teachers, the number produced would still be high," he said.
He said all institutions offering DEd courses are not up to the mark. Therefore, NCTE should have standards for these institutions. "Quality has come down, both in terms of candidates enrolled and faculty ," he added.
Officials said the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry is also conducting a study on demand and supply of teachers and teacher educators.