The Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE) will meet on November 1 to take a final call on a slew of proposed reforms in the teacher education system. The sweeping reforms were recommended by a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered commission under former Chief Justice of India J S Verma.
Bringing teacher education under the higher education system, a policy framework for in-service teacher educators, enhancing duration of teacher education programmes, a teacher education assessment and accreditation centre and an organisational restructuring of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) are some of the key reforms.
The Justice Verma Commission’s recommendations form a part of the agenda for the impending meeting of the CABE, which is the highest advisory body for central and state governments on matters related to education and is headed by the human resource development (HRD) minister.
The ministry’s directive, issued under Section 29 of the NCTE Act, was spurred by the Maharashtra government’s categorical request to the Union government against granting any new B.Ed/D.Ed institution in the state. The supply of trained elementary teachers was already far in excess of the demand for such teachers, the state had said in its request to the Centre.
The terms of references (ToRs), set by the Union government for the commission referred to reforms needed for improving quality of teacher education, a fair and transparent manner of implmenting norms and standards, existing practice of appointment of council members, teacher performance and audit of teachers, provisions empowering withdrawal of recognition to institutes and methodology for examining and enforcing quality in institutions.
