Some Important Agencies of In-Service Education are as follows

Some Important Agencies of In-Service Education are as follows:

1. State Departments of Education:

The State Departments of Education have their own agencies for the improvement of the quality of education. Among such agencies, mention may be made of the state Bureau of Educational and Vocational Guidance, State Evaluation Units, State Institutes of Science, State Institutes of Education, Educational Research Bureaux and Audio­visual Education Bureaux.

2. University Grants Commission:

A very significant development in recent years is the initiative taken by the University Grants Commission in organizing in service programmes for teachers of secondary schools through summer science institutes. It started in 1963 with four summer institutes enrolling 154 teachers of science and mathematics. Till 1969, about 290 institutes had been organized covering nearly 11,300 teachers. The National Council of Educational Research and Training, the USAID and the National Science Foundation are collaborating in this programme.

3. State Institutes of Education:

The State Institutes of Education which have been set up in the States with the assistance provided by the Central Government are at present concerned with the in-service Programmes at the Primary level. They are organizing programmes for primary teacher-educations and inspecting officers. Gradually, the state institutes of Education are expected to assume responsibility for in-service education programmes at the Secondary level also.

4. Institutes of English and Hindi:

There are other agencies like the Central Institute of English, Hyderabad, the Regional Institute of English, Bangalore and the State Institutes of English which are also concerned with in-service education of English teachers and teacher-educators. Besides, there is an Institute of Hindi at Agra which organizes training courses for Hindi teachers periodically.

5. Teachers’ Organisations:

There are several teachers, organizations all over the country at the national, regional and state levels, which also take up in-service education programmes occasionally. So far, their main concern has been the improvement of the economic status and service conditions of teachers.

6. Foreign and International Agencies:

Certain foreign agencies like USAID, the United Status Educational Foundation in India, the British Council and the UNESCO provide opportunities for in-service education in the country. In this connection mention may be made of the in-service Programmer’s in English, organized by the British Council and seminars and workshops organised by the United States Educational Foundation in India and the training provided by the UNESCO at the Asian Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi.