It needs no description that the teacher is pivot of any educational system for the younger pupils. On him rests the failure or the success of le educational system. If the teachers are well educated and trained and they arc intellectually alive and take keen interest in their job, then only, the success is ensured, but if on the other hand, they lack training in education and if they can not give their heart to their job, the system is destined to fail.
The quality of the teacher in an educational system is a more important factor than all the other educational factors put together syllabus, text-books, equipments, and buildings. If we cannot secure a teaching personnel that is keen and intelligent and has a high sense of duty and integrity and if we cannot keep them reasonably satisfied and contented in their work, no educational scheme can have the slightest chance of success. That is why perhaps the most important scheme in the reconstruction of education in the prospects of the teachers, which arc at present so depressingly low.
The fact that ‘teaching’ is a skilled profession has been recognized very recently, and how it is widely felt that the teacher specially a school teacher, should have a sound knowledge of the techniques inherent in the profession. This recognition of the importance of professional education or teachers has given birth to a number of teacher training institutions in our country in recent years.
There is great quantitative expansion of the teacher education programme in the country and more institutes are to be opened during the five Year Plan period, to train teachers both at primary and secondary levels.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Regarding the education and training of the teachers. The Education Commission 1964 had observed that “of all the factors that influence the quality of education the quality, competence and character of teachers are undoubtedly the most significant.” But these in turn depend substantially on the quality of training and other support provided to them.
By the time of adoption of the NPE, elementary and adult education systems were already too vast lo be adequately supported by national and Slate level agencies alone. The NPE implied their further expansion as also considerable qualitative improvement. Provision of support to them in a decentralized manner had therefore become imperative. The NPE and PC)A accordingly envisaged additional of a third-district level-tier to the support system in the shape of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs). With this, expectation would be of wider quantitative coverage as well as qualitatively better support as these Institutes would be closer to the field, and therefore more alive to its problems and needs.”
On the basis of the provision of the NPE on teacher education, a centrally sponsored scheme of Restructuring end Reorganization of Teacher Education was approved in October, 1987. One of the five components of the Scheme was establishment of DIETs. Certain details about the Scheme may be seen m Annex. 2. Draft guidelines for implementing the DIET component were circulated to States in October, 1987, and have, together with certain subsequent circulars, formed the basis for its implementation so far. Till October, 1989, central assistance had been sanctioned under the scheme for setting up a total of 216 DIET in the country.