Thiruvananthapuram: Apart from curriculum reforms, teacher education in the state will undergo a comprehensive revamp soon. In accordance with the Centre’s directive, graduation will be made the minimum educational qualification for teachers. At present, the eligibility to join the D El Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) course, which provides training to the would-be primary/upper primary school teachers, is plus two. 

Further, in a bid to ensure that only passionate candidates seek teaching profession, a special aptitude test will be introduced in Kerala for teachers’ degree admissions. There are plans to implement an integrated degree programme after omitting the existing D El Ed and B.Ed courses as well. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will soon submit a report in this regard to the government. 

As per the Centre’s directive, teaching degrees should be converted to a four-year integrated course. It also proposed to structure school education so as to follow the 5+3+3+4 system. However, Kerala has not yet accepted the Centre’s proposal. Hence, the state is likely to implement the teacher degree courses in three categories from pre-school to higher secondary. Special aptitude tests will be conducted for admissions too. 

The Khader Committee, which was set up to study school education, had recommended that the minimum qualification to become a teacher should be fixed as graduation. The committee also proposed to conduct aptitude tests. It is learnt that the SCERT will submit its report after considering the committee’s recommendations. 

Educational centres must change or shut down

With the implementation of new reforms, D El Ed and B.Ed courses will cease to exist and as a result around 202 D El Ed centres in the state will have to be shut down. In Kerala, there are a total of 187 B.Ed centres including 38 government, 64 unaided and 100 autonomous institutions. 

As per the Centre’s directive, such institutions should be transformed to multidisciplinary teaching centres. With the move, B.Ed centres would have to be merged with other colleges. Or else, they will have to be shut down.