The Union Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ today inaugurated the International Conference titled “Journey of Teacher Education: Local to Global” in New Delhi. The two-day event is being organized by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) as part of silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995.Forty renowned experts from India and abroad are deliberating upon key areas like the present scenario of teacher education in the Indian context; innovations in teaching practices; integration of information and communications technology in teaching; inclusive education in teaching-learning environment; and internationalization of teacher education. Several policy makers addressed the audiences including Ms. Rina Ray, Secretary, Dept. of School Education & Literacy, MHRD, Govt. of India; Mr. R. Subrahmanyam, Secretary, Dept. of Higher Education, MHRD, Govt. of India; Mr. Yaduvendra Mathur, Special Secretary, NITI Aayog; Dr. Satbir Bedi, Chairperson, NCTE; and Mr. Sanjay Awasthi, Member Secretary, NCTE.Speaking on the occasion the HRD Minister said that India has traditionally been known for leadership in education and teacher preparation. For thousands of years, ‘Indian Teacher’ was considered as Vishwa Guru (world’s teacher). Achievements of ancient Indian education system are legendary. School Education is the foundation of any progressive nation and teachers are the powerhouse of the society who mold and shape the future of students to become productive citizens of tomorrow and inculcate positive thinking and cultural ethos in them so that they can be an asset to the society, having both vision and a mission.”Ms. Rina Ray, Secretary, Dept. of School Education & Literacy, MHRD, Govt. of India said “On August 22, 2019, the Ministry of Human Resource Development will be launching the world’s biggest project for teacher training named NISHTHA (National Initiative on School Teachers Head Holistic Advancement). More than 42 lakh teachers will be trained through this mission.This initiative is in recognition of the fact that India cannot truly progress until and unless the skills of teachers are periodically upgraded. We have also mapped 15 lakh schools across the country on various platforms. In addition, 19,000 teacher training institutes in India have been mapped and put on Google Earth. Users can go online not only to see the geographical location of these institutes around the country, but also check their report card and give their feedback. Today, there are 8.5 million teachers in India, which is more than the population of Finland. We need to take care of our teachers and solve their problems. We need to focus on their welfare.”
Mr. Yaduvendra Mathur, Special Secretary, NITI Aayog said “The mandate of NCTE is very broad in its mission and vision and covers the entire gamut of Teacher Education Programs. Teachers are the pillars of transformation of the society, but it is important to upgrade their skills and ensure that they are trained in the best way. This is only possible in collaboration with teacher education institutions which play a key role in their actual transformation. Efficiency in teacher education is the need of the hour. International collaborations can play a key role in this.”Dr. Satbir Bedi, Chairperson, NCTE, said “The teacher education system is responsible for preparing teachers for the school system, who would nurture and nourish the future generations. This conference has been organized to bring our school education system in alignment with global trends. It provides a platform to eminent educationist, academicians, thinkers, practitioners and administrators to brainstorm the various issues and challenges as well as solutions for the existing teacher education system in the country.”NCTE was established on 17th August 1995 and was tasked with achieving planned and coordinated development of teacher education system throughout the country and maintenance of norms and standards therein. NCTE also serves as an advisory body to Central and State Governments to ensure maintenance of standards and quality in Teacher Education. The mandate of NCTE is very broad and covers the entire gamut of Teacher Education programmes, including research and training of persons to equip them to teach at pre-primary, primary, secondary and senior secondary stages in schools as well as non-formal education, part-time education, adult education and distance education courses. Teacher education institutions in India currently offer 17 Teacher Education programmes recognized by NCTE for prospective school teachers.