Question : DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHERS EDUCATION PROGRAMME

(a) whether the Government have any special programmes for the development of the Teacher Education in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the funds allocated and spent thereon during the last three years, State-wise;

(c) whether the Government propose to introduce latest technological development in the Teacher Education Programme in the country with financial and technological assistance from foreign countries and international agencies; if

(d) if so , the details of progress of such projects the schemes to be introduced in the near future;

(e) whether there is any proposal to start regional/subregional offices for the National Council for Teacher Education to cater the needs of various States in the country; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI SYED SHAHNAWAZ HUSSAIN)

(a) and (b): The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Restructuring and Reorganisation of Teacher Education is being operated to create a viable institutional infrastructure, academic and technical resource base for orientation, training and upgradation of the competence and pedagogical skills of school teachers. Components of the scheme are setting up of District Institutes of Education and Training(DIETs),Colleges of Teacher Education(CTEs) and Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education(IASEs) to provide resource support, strengthening of State Councils of Educational Research and Training(SCERTs) of the States, Special Orientation Programme for School Teachers(SOPT), interactive mode of distance education etc. A statement showing funds allocated, State and UT- wise, during the last three years is annexed. Unspent amount, out of fund allocated in a year, is adjusted against funds released in the subsequent year.

(c) and (d): A pilot project for testing the potentiality of interactive mode of distance education for imparting in-service training to school teachers was successfully tried out by National Council of Educational Research & Training(NCERT) in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The experience gained and feed-back furnished by implementing agencies and the State Governments has prompted another project to test the efficacy of interactive television in distance education to be launched in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in collaboration with the Department of Telecom, UNESCO and International Telecommunication Union(ITU). Pre- project activities are on and it is likely to be in operation soon.

(e) and (f) : As per the provisions of National Council for Teacher Education Act, four Regional Committees for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western region have been set up at Jaipur, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar and Bhopal respectively. These Regional Committees consider the application of institutions of teacher education for recognition/permission in accordance with the provisions of the Act.