B.

ED 1ST SEMESTER
P-404
TEACHER EDUCATON

UNIT-II PRE-SERVICE TEACHER

EDUCATION PROGRAMMES
TOPIC: ROLE OF SCERT AND DIET IN
TEACHER EDUCATION
• Education, as you know, is a social system. It caters
to the needs of society. The 42 Amendment of
Indian Constitution (1976) stipulated that
'education is the concurrent responsibility of both,
Central and State Governments'. Hence, education
has become a joint responsibility of both. There are
administrative and academic institutions at the
Centre and State to look after the educational
development at all levels including school
education.
 State Council of Educational Research and
Training (SCERT)
• The SCERT is known as State Institute of Education (SIE) in
some states. It is an integral part of Directorate of
Education and is the academic wing of the State
Department of Education. It provides academic guidance
to the Regional Officers, District Education Officers, Block
Education Officers and Principals of Schools. SCERTs are
headed by Directors and under them are Joint Directors of
different sections like Curriculum Development, Textbooks
Production Division, Non-Formal Education, Science and
Maths Division, Integrated Education for Disabled
Children, Population Education, etc.
 The major functions of SCERT are:
1) It provides academic inputs and infrastructure for schools and
DIETS.
2) It supports training programmes of primary and secondary
teachers in the state and frames their teacher education
curriculum.
3) It prepares the curriculum and text-books for school education.
4) It conducts research on school education and disseminates policy
making decisions and improved techniques and practices in the
schools.
5) It encourages the teachers to conduct small-scale researches and
action researches.
6) It conducts the capacity-building programmes in the
field of educational research.
7) It also supports the improvement of instructional
process in all school subjects with the help of modem
technologies and audio-visual aids; and
8) It develops academic linkages with NCERT and NCTE
and other Central level organizations. The figure
shows the role of SCERT's in qualitative improvement
in school education and in exploring solutions to the
educational challenges posed by changing times.
 District Institute of Education and Training
(DIET)
• DIET is a nodal agency for providing academic
and resource support at the district and
grassroots levels for the success of various
strategies and programmes undertaken in the
areas of elementary education.
• Until the adaptation of NPE 1986, academic and resource
support in the area of elementary education was being
provided largely at national and state levels only by
institutions like NCERT, NIEPA (Now called as NUEPA) and
SCERTs.
• Below the state level, there were elementary teacher
education institutions. The NPE and PoA envisaged
addition of a third district-level tire to the support system
in the shape of District Institutes of Education and Training
(DIET). DIETs were established with the financial support
from the Central Government in pursuance of NPE 1986.
 ROLE OF DIETs IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF
PRE-SCHOOL TEACHERS:
• To provide leadership in innovating pre-service pre-
school teacher training.
• To contribute to development of quality learning
materials for pre-school education.
• To carry out innovations for improving the functioning
of pre-school schools.
• To conduct in-service training programmes for pre-
school teachers.
• To carry out field base empirical studies to
improve the preschool schools.
• To train functionaries of Non government
organizations and volunteers.
• To provide support to district authorities in
implementing quality pre-school education.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF DIETs
Universalisation of elementary education and
eradication of adult illiteracy were two important
objectives of post independent India. Though as a
result of constructive efforts the literacy percentage
16.7% in 1961 raised to 52.11% in 1991, and 61% in
2007, the dream of complete literacy has remained
only a dream. The difference in literacy rates
between male and female, rural and urban,
advantaged and disadvantaged groups are quite
alarming even today. The gaps are more than 20%.
• In universalisation of elementary education, universal
enrolment, universal attendance and universal attainment
are the three challenges. Efforts are made under DPEP
and SSA to ensure the first two, yet we are unable to
improve the quality of elementary education. In view of
this, the Government of India introduced Minimum Levels
of Learning programme to raise the learning levels of
children and ensure an equitable quality across different
contexts of schooling. To fulfill these basic requirements
of elementary education, we need responsible teachers
who can serve the cause more judiciously.
To keep elementary teachers more active through
continuous training, giving opportunity for continuing
their education for the enhancement of their professional
competencies, DIETs were needed. National and state
level institutions like NCERT, SCERT etc. exist to cater to
the needs of our elementary education. But, India as a
geographically huge nation needs decentralisation. Recent
years have witnessed an enormous growth in elementary
schools and adult education centers. This lead to the
establishment of district level institutions to meet
immediate needs of the teachers.
• Thus District Institutions of Education and
Training (DIETs) have been setup in each
district. The DIETs have been established with
all the required infrastructural facilities so as
to meet the pre-service and in-service training
needs and other requirements of primary
education functionaries. Often, DIET is seen as
an agency linking primary and secondary
school system too.
• Objectives of DIETs: To provide academic and resource support at the grass
roots level for the success of the various strategies and programmes being
undertaken in the areas of elementary and adult education, with special
reference to the following objectives.

Elementary Education:
• Universalization of primary/elementary education.
• To make primary education all extensive at the District level.
• To undertake action research to improve the quality of primary education.
• To provide training to primary school Head Masters, teachers, conductors of
adult education centers, observers and, main volunteers of Anganwadis and
Balwadis.
 Functions of DIET

• Training and orientation for Elementary school teachers (both

pre-service and in- service). Head Masters, Heads of School
Complexes. Instructors and supervisors of Non formal and
Adult Education.
• Academic and resource support to the elementary and adult
education systems in the district.
• Action research and experiment to deal with specific
problems of the district in achieving the objectives in the
areas of elementary and adult education.
• To provide training and guidance for implementation of
programmes like activity based and joyful learning and
creating willingness to go to school.
• To undertake research and experiment, keep in mind
the problems of the educational arena and to solve
them.
• To familiarize Headmasters, teachers, BRCs, CRCs,
co-coordinators and supervisors with new approach.
• To organize seminars and workshops to enhance the
abilities For teaching subjects like Mathematics,
Science, work Experience, Art teaching and Yoga
teaching at the primary school level.
• To provide guidance for diagnosis and remedies
for abilities established by the students through
capacity aimed evaluation and also lack of
abilities thereof.
• To provide guidance and evaluation techniques
to ensure success for activity based education.
• To make lecturers visit at CRC level & to provide
guidance.