As we take a step back and eye the state of education at the Tathagat School and the impact of our ongoing support, one fundamental issue that rises to the surface as an area of concern is the matter of teacher qualification and training. Presently, none of the adults teaching at the school have formal teacher training and certification. This obviously impacts the quality of education they are able to provide.
While this may seem a gross violation and an unacceptable situation, my research found that it is quite common in India for schools that are not funded by the government to resort to hiring uncertified teachers, often reducing their hiring requirements to the completion of 10-12 years of school. This is both for lack of funds to pay certified teachers, and, because they essentially can get away with it, due to lack of standardized regulation and enforcement means.
Clearly, there is a chronic problem here. It demonstrates one of the ways in which the poor and disadvantaged live outside the system of government services, protection, and concern, and one of the reasons why the cycle of poverty is perpetuated.
Background
Certification for teaching at the elementary stage in India is bestowed by the States’ Departments of Education. The coursework required to attain this certificate takes roughly two years to complete, consisting of varying curricula determined by the individual states. The resulting certificate is not a B.A. equivalent, but a diploma that may be titled BTC (Basic Teaching Certificate), D.Ed. (Diploma in Education), and TTC (Teachers’ Training Certificate), depending on the state. A B.Ed. degree is required to teach high school and is provided by accredited universities.
Until 1995, the standards, curriculum and required examinations for teacher education and certification in India were determined by each state and each university individually, and therefore varied widely. In 1995, The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) was set up by India’s parliament and given a broad mandate with legal powers to determine and enforce standards of teacher education throughout the country.
However, with 900,000 schools and 4.6 Million teachers in the country (according to an Educational Survey conducted in 2003), this is a daunting task. The need to transition jurisdiction of these programs away from individual states and institutions and onto the central government further complicates and slows down the process. The NCTE decided to divide its enforcement into two stages, first working on enforcing standards in terms of physical infrastructure, and later addressing the enforcement of qualitative standards. According to Professor Maheshwari, Chairman of the NCTE, although some order could be restored in the teacher education system, it remains a continuous battle for the NCTE. The challenge of producing competent teachers, committed to providing quality education, will continue to be a daunting task for sometime.
The current reality
Currently, required qualifications for teachers still vary widely among states, and between government funded and non-government-funded schools. While government and state run schools recruit only certified teachers, it is common for NGOs to hire teachers without any certification or training.
In Bihar, the required certification for teaching elementary school is the Elementary Teacher Training Education certificate, or, ETT Education. It is a two-year program, and is offered at a Teacher Training College in Gaya (half hour drive by Rikshaw from Bodhgaya). Details of what the program entails are here: www.ttcgaya.org/index.php?page=ett. Completion of 12 years of school with at least 45% on tests is the prerequisite for admission.
This Teacher Training College was established in 2004 in response to the dire and increasing need in the area for qualified teachers. According to the college’s website, the whole region, including Bihar and several neighboring states, is experiencing a severe shortage in qualified teachers, while at the same time experiencing pressure from the NCTE to enforce qualification in all schools. For more details on this see: www.ttcgaya.org/index.php?page=au
Considering the impact of the above on the Tathagat School (and other similarly poor, rural schools), it seems that 1. It is going to be hard to find qualified teachers, as too few of them exist in the whole area; 2. Those who are qualified or become qualified in the near future are going to be in such demand that they will be in a position to require higher salaries, making it very difficult if not impossible for poor schools to retain them. 3. The good news may be that, given this scenario, becoming a certified teacher is shaping up to be a highly desireable position to strive for, in terms of readily finding employment and in terms of salary level. Hopefully, some of the children may be inspired to work toward it as a way to a brighter future.
With the backdrop of these serious challenges, we nonetheless continue to explore ways in which to improve the quality of education provided to the children of Bakrour and Ganga Bigha villages through the Tathagat School. This includes networking with other area schools and individuals to try to identify creative ways to provide teacher training, future fundraising on this blog for certified teacher salaries, and exploring new avenues for improving the children’s educational experience. Your thoughts, advice and suggestions are always welcome and greatly appreciated.
For more on the history of the educational system in India and the mandate of the NCTE, look here: www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/2686/teacher-education-certification.htm
