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NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020 AND TEACHER EDUCATION

SUB THEME: PARADIGM SHIFT IN VARIOUS ASPECTS OF TEACHER

EDUCATION

MONALI PRIYADARSINI SAHOO

M.ED 1ST YEAR, RNIASE, CUTTACK

Email: monalipriyadarsini321@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
According to R. N. Tagore, “teacher can never truly teach unless he himself carries on
to learn”. As everyone is apprehensive, teachers play a pivotal part in the development of the
whole country rather than a small society. So proficient preceptors are the determining factor
to ensure the development of the education system. But it's been a long time since the Indian
education system has seen any significant reforms. For bringing a great change, National
education policy 2020 come into existence after 35 years of long time with new ideas and
innovation under the chairmanship of K Kasturirangan. The paper focused primarily on
paradigm shifts in various aspects of TE. In order to raise the norms of TE and restore
integrity, credibility, efficacy & high quality to the teacher education system, NEP- 2020 has
introduced Some reforms which are bandied in this paper. It is a comprehensive document
which envisaged of the stages of TE, fostering quality and assuring integrity, reconstruction
of entire TE, connecting HEIs & schools, Research in TE, why multidisciplinary institutions
are recommended for all TE programs, significance of 4yr integrated B.Ed. course,
introduction of dual degree to the curriculum, introduction of aptitude test as a prerequisite for
pre-service TE, continuous professional development of in-service teachers, how changing
curriculum can ameliorate the calibres of TE & how can professional mobility be enhanced by
various online courses. Numerous pedagogical and non-pedagogical aspects recommended in
NEP2020, their impacts on society, and the challenges in the way of enforcing the recently
suggested teacher education programs are mentioned here in this paper. Some suggestions and
solutions are being discussed as well.

Keywords- NEP 2020, Paradigm shift, Teacher education, Reform, Challenges.

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1.INTRODUCTION:

The foundation and the future of any nation is determined on the quality of the
Education that's structured and enforced by the subsisting government of the respective
country. The National Education policy determines the educational structure & the way of its
implementation. It gives shape to the nation for the forthcoming days & paves the path for
the well- structured education system for the nation which assure its implication on the
ground level. According to the changing society, TE programs are changing their shapes to
ensure quality teachers for the society. Hence, a methodical analysis of the recent steps of
NCTE & NEP in professional preparation of preceptors and its effectiveness towards a
paradigm shift in Teacher Education in our country need to be understand, keeping in view
the several perspectives of the present script of the society.

2.CURRENT STATUS OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN INDIA:

In present scenario of our country, teacher Education is stage-specific. That means

programs of teacher education are different according to the needs of pre-primary, primary,
secondary, higher education and vocational education. These programs widely diverge in the
process.

Generally, there are five types of TE programs including,

2.1.Education for Pre-Primary Teachers:

There are many different pre-primary teacher preparation programs, including Kindergarten,
Montessori, Pre-basic and Nursery etc. Higher secondary education is required for entrance
to these courses, and one year is the duration. Many institutions offer two-year training
programs.

2.2.Training for Primary Teachers:

These training institutions have grown significantly throughout the five-year plan. Two years
are required to complete the course, and admittance requires a higher secondary degree.

2.3.Education for Secondary Teachers:

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These training institutions prepare newly minted secondary or higher secondary teachers.
Currently, the course is two years long and has a strong emphasis on methodology and
teaching methods leading to B.Ed. degree.

2.4.Higher Education:

Three types of higher education courses exist including,

● 2-year M.Ed. program:

To become a lecturer in colleges and training schools, you must have either a
master's degree in arts or science and an M.Ed. One can join numerous
administrative positions at NCERT, NIE, and SCERT with this qualification.
● 2-year M.A. in Education:
This course is equivalent to the M.Ed. and is open to graduates. M.Ed. is thought as
the applied side of education and MA(Education)is regarded as the fundamental or
pure side of education.
● 3-year Ph.D. program following an M.Ed. or M.A. in education:
Many universities offer Ph.D. programs in education to graduates of M.Ed. or M.A.
(Education). In addition to the three-year Ph.D. program, one-year M.Phil. has been
offered in many universities.

2.5.Training for Vocational Teachers:

There are various training programs for teachers of technical disciplines. To train specialized
instructors, there are many different programs and organizations,

● A two-year Physical Education (BPED) course

● Programs for aspiring dance, fine arts, music, and painting instructors.

● Programs that train educators for home science over the course of a year.

● Arts and crafts certificate programs.

3.TEACHER EDUCATION VISUALISED IN NEP-2020:

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The goal of NEP 2020 is to ensure that emerging teachers receive the highest quality
of training in terms of pedagogy, skills, and subject knowledge. NEP 2020's aim is to alter the
current structure and practices of teacher education and create a more psychological and
robust system for teaching subjects. The generation of teachers will be equipped with
knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and research aptitude. The purpose of this policy is to
boost students' cognitive mindset and make them future-ready by preparing more efficient
teachers. The existing system has undergone some reforms by NEP for this purpose such as:

3.1.REVITALIZATION OF ENTIRE TE:

In order to provide teacher education with multidisciplinary inputs, high-quality

content and pedagogy, all teacher education programs must be conducted in composite
multidisciplinary institutions. For this purpose, stand-alone TEIs must switch to
multidisciplinary institutions by 2030, as they must offer a 4-year integrated teacher
preparation program. Minimum degree qualification for school teachers will be the 4-year
integrated B.Ed. offered by such multidisciplinary HEIs by 2030. The HEI that provides a 4-
year integrated B.Ed. program may also offer a 2-year B.Ed. program for students who have
already obtained a Bachelor's degree in a specialized subject. A 1-year B.Ed. program may
also be offered to candidates who have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree in a
specialized subject. Apart from that, regardless of their discipline, all new Ph.D. entrants will
have to take credit-based courses in teaching, education, pedagogy, or writing related to
their chosen Ph.D. subject during their doctoral training period.

Citation: National Education Policy 2020

https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf

3.2.CONNECTING HEIs AND SCHOOLS:

HEIs must collaborate closely with schools and school complexes to create an
environment for holistic education. The availability of experts in education and related
disciplines, as well as specialized subjects, will be assured by HEIs offering teacher education
programs. At each higher education institution, there will be a network of government and
private schools to work closely with, where potential teachers will teach and participate in
other activities such as community service, adult and vocational education, etc.

3.3.MULTIDISCIPLINARY OUTLOOK TO TE:

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The policy envisions a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, and comprehensive

Undergraduate education that includes flexible curricula, creative combinations of subjects
and integration of vocational education. The duration of UG education can be 3 or 4 years,
with multiple entry and exit options with appropriate certification within this period. An
Academic Bank of Credit is being established to digitally store academic credits earned from
various HEIs, which can then be transferred and counted towards the final degree earned.
The teacher education will encompass a foundation in sociology, history, science,
psychology, early childhood care and education, foundational literacy and numeracy, and
knowledge of India and its values, ethos, art, and traditions, in addition to teaching cutting-
edge pedagogy.

Citation:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367966432_National_Education_Policy_NEP_20
20_and_Multidisciplinary_Approaches

3.4.CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

The National Education Policy 2020 aims to produce a knowledgeable society

universally by exercising technology and emphasizing the development of teachers' self-
interest for their professional upliftment. NEP 2020 recommended that teachers will be
offered continuous openings for their professional improvement by various courses through
distinctive modes especially in online mode and at different forms i.e. transnational, public,
state, indigenous or original level workshops, seminars for development of effective
teachers. Academy Principals and academy complex leaders will have analogous modular
leadership/ management workshops and online development opportunities and platforms to
continuously ameliorate their own leadership and management skills. To inculcate a
wholesome personality in a teacher, it's anticipated that they spend at least 50 hours of CPD
annually in their own area of interest. These CPD courses and deliberations are intended to
cover the rearmost pedagogy related to foundational literacy and numeracy as well as
innovative ways to assess literacy issues as suggested by NEP 2020. New pedagogical
approaches like existential literacy, arts-integrated literacy, games, and sports-integrated
literacy will be employed to make literacy joyous and stable. The significance of CMP (Career
Management and Progression) was also stressed by NEP 2020, which is aimed at boosting
the career growth of preceptors and other educational stakeholders.
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Citation:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354847706_Continuous_Professional_Developm
ent_for_Teachers_in_India_Prospects_and_Challenges_in_Reference_to_National_Educatio
n_Policy_2020/link/6155863b63675972d2a64416/download

3.5.STRUCTURING NCFTE- 2021:

The NCTE will develop a comprehensive and new National Curriculum Framework for
Teacher Education, NCFTE 2021, in consultation with NCERT by 2021. The NCFTE will
thereafter be revised erstwhile every 5–10 years by taking the changes in revised NCFs and
the arising needs in teacher education into account.

Citation: National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education

https://ncte.gov.in/website/PDF/NCFTE_2009.pdf

3.6.PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS:

A common guiding set of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) will be
developed by 2022, by the National Council for Teacher Education in its restructured new
form as a Professional Standard Setting Body (PSSB) under the General Education Council
(GEC) (NEP- 2020,5.20). The NPST will also inform the design of pre-service teacher
education programmes. According to the suggestion, teachers who are outstripping in their
job should be honoured and given incentives, similar as promotion and salary increase,
grounded on their performance, based on the assessment parameters developed by the
States/ UTs government (i.e. peer compliances, academy visits, attendance, preparing
literacy resources, professional commitment, spent hours of CPD, and other forms of service
to school or the community). Promotions and salary increases will only be granted based on
appraisal, not on term or senility. The professional ethos will be reviewed and revised every
ten years starting in 2030 and thereafter, grounded on rigorous empirical analysis of the
system's effectiveness. The admission to pre-service teacher medication programmes shall
be through suitable subject and aptitude tests conducted by the National Testing Agency
(NEP- 2020,15.7). A National Mission for Mentoring shall be established (NEP- 2020,15.11).

Citation: National Education Policy 2020

https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf
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3.7.TECHNOLOGICAL PLATFORM FOR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING:

The virtual teaching environment of online education technology involves teachers

and scholars using a virtual network to educate and learn. In- service continuous
professional development for council and university teachers will continue through the
existing institutional arrangements and ongoing initiatives. These will be strengthened and
predominantly expanded to meet the requirements of fortified teaching-learning processes
for quality education. The use of technology platforms similar as SWAYAM/ DIKSHA for
online training of teachers will be encouraged (NEP- 2020,15.10). Departments of Education
and other TEIS should offer their programs in different formats, such as blended, part-time,
and online, to enhance professional mobility. It's necessary to develop the course and
activities in digital format according to pre-service and in- service training requirements. The
thing is to ensure that the maximum number of trainees receives educational services and
professional development services as well.

4.CRITICAL REVIEW OF CHALLENGES & PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NEP-2020:

● Accepting changes in teaching - learning styles:

The new NEP has suggested numerous new approaches for dealing with children of
various age groups, from the pre-primary stage to higher education. As teachers are
used to old methods of delivering lectures, making such arrangements at each school
and college to adopt holistic development for teachers could pose an obstacle. Hence
for both students and teachers, this shift from old methods to modern scenarios may
be problematic. The students in our country are unable to afford such advanced
knowledge, and the absence of resources would result in a burden on them and their
parents.
● The multi entry and exit concept:
Although the concept is intriguing, it could pose a challenge in keeping IA records for
students who will enrol and leave education at any level. Keeping track of students
can be problematic when a stream system dissolves, as it was easy to determine
which stream each student belongs to by looking at the scorecard. This problem may
hinder the implementation of such a policy at higher educational institutes.

● Availability of Employment Opportunities:

The employment industry will face a slight challenge with the NEP 2020
implementation because all new young people who have graduated, after graduation
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will rush into the market to seek jobs with high expected packages. So as to fulfil
their dreams, the industry must be capable itself on creating jobs in various ways.
Otherwise, the unemployment ratio for educated people could increase, which could
also be detrimental to the nation's progress.

● A well-equipped infrastructure:
Proper infrastructure is necessary to make the 4-year integrated Bachelor of
Education program a success, as B.Ed. College will have to be merged with senior
colleges.
● Curriculum:
It is necessary to have a proper curriculum design for the 4-year integrated Bachelor
of Education program. Multidisciplinary institutions must be the place where the
curriculum for the 4-year integrated Bachelor of Education program is designed.
● Students' choice:
At the age of 17, i.e. immediately after 12th standard, it is necessary for a person to
choose the teaching profession, even if they have no clear direction on their career
path at that age. On the other hand, teaching is not attractive to young people due to
its lack of fascination compared to other fields like IT, Management, and Medical etc.
● Inadequate budget:
Lack of funding and budget for education is a significant obstacle to the success of TE
in India, as per NPE-2020. Union Budget for 2022-23 on education sector with an
allocation of around 1,04,278 crores is again out of synchronization with the
aspirations of NEP 2020, which recommends an expenditure on education about 6%
of GDP. It is impossible to achieve the policy's vision of total overhaul in all phases of
TE, including Selection, Training, supervision, technology and pedagogy,
infrastructural facilities, administration, research, innovation, etc., until the budget
requirements are fully met.

Citation:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362538441_Issues_and_Challenges_of_N
ational_Education_Policy_NEP_2020_implementation_in_Teacher_Education

5.SUGGESTION AND SOLUTIONS:

● The curriculum should be designed to train teachers from pre-school to secondary

(class 12th). To have a broader curriculum, it is necessary to include all academic
subjects, arts, sports, and vocational education, such as carpentry, electrician, car
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mechanic, ITI courses, etc. It is essential to include foreign languages, Spoken English,
Public Speaking, and Communication skills. Designing teacher training modules (TTM)
for students is necessary. TTM must be activity and skill-based program.
● It is necessary to integrate fast-developing technologies fully into teaching, learning,
assessment, and supervision of teacher trainees and students. Indigenous technology
has the ability to address the problems of access, equity, and quality in TE.
● In order to face modern challenges in TE, the teaching methodologies need to be
enhanced with more psychological bases. A link must exist between the teacher
education framework and the needs of students. The learning needs of 21-century
learners must be met by pedagogy.
● The Centre and the States must allocate sufficient funds and budgets to meet the
infrastructural and technological requirements in TEIS.
● To prevent corruption, malpractice, and low ethics, it is important to strengthen the
provision of imparting professional, ethical, and life values to teachers.
● The development of leadership programs is necessary, and educators must be
motivated to take these courses. Existing programs such as LEAP (Leadership for
Academicians Programme) require financial and technological support to be
strengthened.
● The development of quality MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) for pre-service
and in-service training should be prioritized. Promotions should require opting for
these courses. Expert faculty at ranked institutions should design, validate, and
review these courses.
● There should be a free exchange of scholars from one department to the other. This
will improve the quality of teacher education programmes immensely.
● Teacher pupil ratio should be ideally 1:8 and internship in teacher education should
be objective, reliable and valid.

6.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:

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Considering the current state and situation of teacher education in India, which has
been completely corporatized in the last two decades, it would be unrealistic to change the
current system that gives power to the private sector. In my perspective the quality of
teacher education not only depends upon professionally sound teachers and relevant
curriculum but also it depends upon the way, the curriculum is implemented in the teacher
education institutions. This, in turn depends upon the proficiency of teachers and the
infrastructure of institutions which again depends upon the provision of funds and facilities
provided by the government. If we can assure the necessary implementation of the policy, it
can ensure development in teacher education. We must overcome all these challenges
together to achieve the goals of New Education Policy. Only then can the bright future of
teacher education be achieved.

REFERENCES:

⮚ National Education Policy (2020), Ministry of Education, Government of India.

Retrieved from:
https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pd
f
⮚ National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (2009). Towards preparing
Professional and Humane Teachers. National Council for Teacher Education,
Government of India, New Delhi. Retrieved from:
https://ncte.gov.in/website/PDF/NCFTE_2009.pdf
⮚ National Council of Educational Research and Training. (n.d.). Ancient Education
System of India (Book Chapter-11). Retrieved from:
https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/heih111.pdf
⮚ Rani, A. (2017). Problems and Solution of Teacher Education. Inter. J. Acad. Res. Educ.
Rev, 5(1), 15-19. Retrieved from:
https://www.academicresearchjournals.org/IJARER/PDF/2017/January/Rani.pdf
⮚ Union Budget (2022-23), Government of India. Retrieved from:
https://www.india.gov.in/spotlight/union-budget-fy-2022-2023