7

NEW ROLES FOR THE TEACHER AND METHODS
OF TRAINING AT THE TEACHERS' TRAINING INSTITUTES

It is noteworthy that the role of teacher is sought to be determined during the recent decades, not only in the context of providing the dimension of values in our system of education but also in the context of providing more effective methods of education.  These two contexts are not mutually exclusive, and they tend to lead to conclusions that converge upon the important point, namely that the role of the teacher is not merely that of a lecturer.

According to one extreme view, the method of lecturing should be eliminated altogether from our educational system.  It has been suggested that teaching should be done through teaching machines or through such devices which involve methods of self-learning.

Against this extreme view, it has been argued that the method of lecturing is indispensable, not as an exclusive method, but as an integral part of the totality of various methods.  It has been argued, for instance, that lecturing is a practical demonstration to the students of how a complex and rich mind operates while dealing with a subject in question.  It has also been held that lecturers are or can be useful under at least five circumstances, namely, (a) when a new subject is to be introduced, (b) when a panoramic view of a given topic or subject is to be presented, (c) when collective awareness regarding a subject matter needs to be created, (d) when a discussion on a given problem is sought to be stimulated and conducted and (e) when some general information is to be provided for any collective purposes.  It has also been urged that lectures are effective instruments when results of a recent research or discovery are to be communicated, particularly, when no written material is as yet available.  Finally no one seriously disputes the tremendous value of an inspired speech, particularly when it flows from profundities of knowledge and experience.

At the same time, it has now come to be increasingly realised that the most essential and indispensable role of the teacher is to try to understand his students and to help each one in his growth and development.  In this view, the first thing that the teacher should do is to observe his students at work and at play, with deep insight and sympathy.  The second step should be to provide to the whole group of his students as also to each member of the group the necessary stimulus in the right direction.  This stimulus could be in the form of a lecture or in the form of a conversation or a suggestion or a demonstration or a general or initial remark.   That a given teacher should be a good lecturer is understood, but it is increasingly felt that he should also be capable of formulating short and striking words and ideas which can be communicated briefly and effectively.  He should also be capable of knowing when a personal or individual explanation to a given student would be useful and fruitful.  There are occasions when silence is more eloquent than a speech.  And, above all, the teacher should, by his own enthusiasm and his own uplifting example, provide, a stimulating atmosphere that would inspire his students to work, joyously and eagerly towards excellence.

It is admitted that these are difficult things, and that we are led to demand a great deal from the teacher.  But it is argued that the changes that are coming over the entire human race, and the exigencies of the crisis through which mankind is passing today impose upon us an imperative to demand from our teachers qualities and capacities which are not so common.  

It is therefore urged that teachers have to play roles which are largely new and which are admittedly difficult.

The International Commission on the Development of Education, established by UNESCO, submitted its report in 1972 under the title: Learning To Be.  In this report, certain far-reaching recommendations have been made in regard to teachers and teachers' training programme.  It has been, for example, pointed out:

"One of the essential tasks of educators at present is to change the mentalities and qualifications inherent in all professions; thus they should be the first to be ready to rethink and change the criteria and basic situation of the teaching profession, in which the job of educating and simulating students is steadily superseding that of simply giving instructions."*

It has been further pointed out that the present day divisions between formal and informal, school and out-of-school, child and adult education are steadily fading.  It has, therefore, been recommended that the conditions in which teachers are trained should be profoundly changed so that, essentially, they become educators rather than mere specialists in transmitting pre-established curricula.  It has been underlined that the teaching profession will not be in a position to fulfil its role in the future unless it is given, and develops itself, a structure better adapted to modern educational systems.

This Report has further pointed out that wide-spread and efficient use of new technologies in education is possible only if sufficient change takes place within the system itself.  It has, therefore, been recommended that teacher training programmes should be so modified that teachers are equipped for the different roles and functions imposed by new technologies.

We recommend that the qualities, capacities and skills that we should aim at among teachers should include:

(a) A spontaneous but well-cultivated interest in observing students with deep insight and sympathy;

(b) Psychological tact to deal with collective and individual needs of growth of students;

(c) Capacity to lead students to the art of self-learning;

(d) A cheerful and enthusiastic disposition capable of inspiring students to pursue values and excellence with sincerity and dedication;

(e) Capacity of guiding and counselling, more by suggesting and by uplifting example rather than by lecturing;

(f) Capacities not only for a formal education but also for non-formal and informal education;

(g) Capacity to handle self-learning equipment, audio-visual instruments and various kinds of new learning materials including work sheets, workbooks, programmed books, test papers with auto-correcting components and other materials required for vocational guidance;

(h) Knowledge of art and science of educating the personality in all its aspects with a special emphasis on integration, harmony and excellence.

As a practical measure, we recommend that the methods which are currently employed in the teachers' training institutions should be so changed that the trainees would have the opportunity of first hand experience of new methods and techniques of learning during their training programmes.

A working model that could be suggested may be described as follows:

(a) Teachers under training should at the outset be provided with a document explaining the new roles for the teachers as also various new methods and techniques involved in the learning-teaching process.

(b) Trainees would be required to indicate their willingness to employ new methods of learning in their own training;

(c) Trainees would then be advised to study their various subjects, as far as possible, through the process of self-learning; (it should be made clear that the burden of completing the course of training will be on themselves, and that they will be free to progress at their own place);

(d) Educators of the trainees would be available for consultation as and when needed, for shorter or longer duration, by prior appointment, or at certain hours of the day, without any prior appointment;

(e) Educators would deliver lectures from time to time, as and when necessary, but these lectures would be much fewer than in the ordinary system of education;

(f) Educators would combine lectures with seminars, tutorials, demonstrations, exhibitions and individualised guidance so as to make the process of training as effective as possible;

(g) Each trainee would undertake a project, the report of which would, at the end of the training period, indicate his pursuit of excellence and values which are sought to be promoted through the training programme;

(h) The training institution should provide opportunities and facilities to the trainees to handle audio-visual equipment, new learning-teaching material, work sheets, programmed books, teaching machines and other latest instruments meant for individualised learning as also for various other methods which are sought to be employed in new emerging models of teaching-learning;

(i) Educators in the training institutions would devote themselves to extending to the trainees the necessary help, guidance, counsel and inspiration;

(j) Education would give to the trainees individualised tests from time to time, as and when necessary, with a view to giving opportunities to the trainees (a) to revise what they have studied; (b) to ascertain the degree of proficiency achieved; (c) to stimulate and encourage them to study further; and (d) to develop new interest and new lines of studies;

(k) A record of progress would be maintained by each trainee in which he will record, among other things, books read and results achieved at various tests; (this record would, however, be for the trainees' own personal use and not for any official purposes).

In order that the candidate is free to direct his own training programme he should be free to take or not to take any particular test during the training programme, except when in the view of the educators he is unable to use his freedom intelligently and prudently and is therefore in need of compulsory compliance with the advise and directions of the educators.

At the end of the training period, the candidates would have the possibility of taking a Public Examination, provided that he obtains from the head of the training institution a testimonial that he has shown during the training period qualities of regularity, punctuality and diligence in work as also disciplined behaviour.

The Public Examination should consist of a written test and an oral test.

The written test will consist of at least four papers.   Of these, one paper will cover the programme that has been suggested as the core programme of value-oriented education.

The second paper would pertain to achievements of Indian Culture, National struggle for freedom, ideals of Liberty, Equality an Fraternity, and the theme of Unity of Mankind.*

The next two papers would pertain to any combination of subjects that the student might have chosen to specialise in.

In the oral test, each interviewee would have the opportunity to explain the report of the project that he might have submitted earlier, on   completion of the training period.  In addition, the interviewee will be tested in respect of the depth of knowledge of subjects of his specialisation as also in respect of the general attainments of the development of personality and dedication of serious thought and to high ideals.

The interview should be of a duration of at least half an hour.

One of the serious maladies of the written tests is that of cheating practised by a number of students.  Various suggestions have been made to cure this malady.  Our own suggestion would be to arrange the written tests on the following lines:

(a) There should be a question bank in every concerned library where a number of questions pertaining to various topics of studies could be available.

(b) Students should be free to get themselves acquainted with the questions pertaining to their own subjects and topics.

(c) In the examination hall, a selection from the totality of these questions, classified subject-wise (and topic-wise, if necessary) should be available.

(d) These questions would be printed on a specially designed paper, each question on a separate slip on one side only.  The other side of the slip would be blank and slip would be so folded that only the blank side would be visible from outside

(e) Each student would be permitted to pick up any questions by lot, and he would be expected to answer any four or five of these questions.

(f) For every question, there would be separate answer sheet, and at the commencement of the answer, the student would be required to paste the question slip.

(g) Thus, every student will have a separate set of questions, and there would be no possibility of leakage or of cheating.

Candidates who would be declared successful at this Public Examination would be entitled to appointment, on a competitive basis, to a teaching post in any secondary school.  He will similarly be entitled to appointment in any higher secondary school, provided that he has the requisite post-graduate qualification as well.

8

A PROGRAMME OF STUDIES RELATED TO INDIA AND INDIAN RULES

Before we come to the concluding part of our report, we shall address ourselves to the important question of proposing  a programme of studies related to values cherished by India and the theme of Indian heritage and composite culture as also  a programme of the study of the national freedom struggle.

We have, in an earlier Chapter, referred to certain values which are uniquely Indian.  For instance, we have pointed out that the value and ideal of synthesis has been pursued through the long history of Indian culture as one of the most desirable goals - and that too repeatedly and with a very special insistence.   We have also stressed the ideal of unity and national and international harmony.   The values of mutuality and oneness in diversity have also been emphasised.   We have also spoken of the sense of joy that is behind various festivals in India and of the Indian idea of rhythm of life and the law of harmony, expressed by the word "Dharma".  We have also pointed out that the place that has been given to womanhood and motherhood is something very unique to India, and we should like to recommend that an emphasis should be laid on the study of the contribution that women have made in the making of India.  Above all, we have noted the over-riding importance that has been attached in India to the pursuit of knowledge, of purity, of heroism and of wisdom.

Referring to the period of India's struggle for freedom, we have pointed out that this period was marked by the rise of great men and women who embodied Indian values and enriched them, and that a study of our nationalist movement provides us a perennial source of inspiration.

We have, therefore, recommended that we should lay a special empahsis on the study of our struggle for freedom in our educational system, particularly, in the programmes related to the training of teachers.

It is undeniable that the sound knowledge of the history of India is the sure basis of our understanding and the appreciation of the values that have evolved through vicissitudes of events and movements which have shaped the story of our vast sub-continent.  Unfortunately, most of our books on Indian history contain the record of the rise and fall of dynasties and kingdoms, and they pay only a perfunctory attention to the vast kingdoms, and they pay only a perfunctory attention to the vast and over - whelmingly important story of the culture achievements of the Indian genius.  Biographies of great leaders hardly find any place in our textbooks.   Even the biographies of great monarchs, which do find some place,  relate only to the political life rather than interesting and inspiring aspects that relate to pursuit of art, science, philosophy, religion and ethics.  Our students may indeed come to learn something of the life of Ashoka and Akbar but very little of Nagarjuna and Abdul Fazal.

The chronology of events of Indian history is very complex, and our history books often present this chronology in such a way as to render a synoptic view of the Indian history extremely difficult.  In any case, our textbooks fail to present to our students a connected story of the development of essential ideas and movements which are directly related to the values which need to be underlined.

This would show the need for a new model of the presentation of Indian history.  What exactly should be a new model is an extremely important question, and it calls for a special treatment at the hands of experts.   For our limited purpose, which is relevant to our present task, we shall limit ourselves to recommending a few important lines on which a programme of the study of Indian history should be envisaged as an integral part of the teachers' training programme.

We feel that a study of Indian history should be encouraged among all teacher-trainees for one of the central aims of education is to provide to every student irrespective of whether he wants to be a doctor or an engineer, an artist or a scientist, a writer or an artisan, should become a true Indian and should receive from his teacher, whatever his speciality, that great heritage of Indian culture to which he is natural heir.  This would mean that all teachers, whether their specialisation is in the field of mathematics or language, in science, or literature, in home science or physical culture, should have the necessary equipment which would enable them to transmit Indianness to the children and students who would be placed under their care.  When we say this, we do not mean that every teacher should be a specialist in Indian history.  But he should have at least a sound and authentic idea of Indian culture and of those achievements which fill us with pride in our heritage.

Our aim should, therefore, be to provide to teacher trainees a bird's eye view of Indian history and some detailed idea of some of the great movements and events as also of inspiring biographies, not only of kings and queens, but also of our great builders of religion and spirituality, of philosophy and ethics, of language and literature, science and technology, of art, of music and dance and sculpture and architecture.  In addition, we should provide a brief idea of the various aspects of Indian life and of the values which are embedded in art and crafts, in music and dance, in festivals and in the general attitude relating to the ultimate aims of life which provide a clue to the enigma of the continuity of Indian culture and to the problems of building up a greater and more glorious cultural edifice for the Indian people.

Finally, as explained above, we should provide a somewhat detailed account of the story of the freedom struggle which constitutes our immediate past which presents us with a record of an unusual stirring of the Indian spirit which has thrown up large waves of ideas and motives which seem destined to guide India's course towards the future.

In practical terms, we recommend the following outlines of the programmes:

A Rapid View of Indian History

Part I

(i) The question of India's antiquity

(ii) Mohenjodaro and Harappa

(iii) The earliest poetry; The Veda

(iv) Upanishad; Ramayana and Mahabharta

(v) Vasistha, Vishwamitra, Lopamudra, Yajnavalakya Maitreji

II

(i) Buddha and Mahavira

(ii) Buddhism and Jainism

(iii) Invasion of Alexander the Great

(iv) Chandragupta Maurya

(v) Ashoka.

III

(i) Kushans and Kanishka

(ii) Chandragupta, Samundragupta and Vikramaditya

(iii) Gupta Period: the Golden Age of India

(iv) Kalidasa, Varahamihara, Aryabhata, Brahamgupta

(v) Fa-Hieun's account of India.

IV

(i) Harshavardhana

(ii) Huen Tsang's account of India.

V

(i) The coming of Islam, Tenets of Islam

(ii) Succession of Sultans, Razia Begum

VI

(i) Babar's account of India

(ii) Beginnings of Sikhism: Guru Nanak

(iii) Akbar

(iv) Abdul Fazal, Faizi and Tansen

(v) Jahangir, Shahjahan and Aurangzeb

(vi) Great Saints: Narsi Mehta, Tulsidas, Meerabai, Surdas, Chaitanya, Tukaram

(vii) Establishment of Khalsa: Guru Gobind Singh

(viii) Vijay Nagar

(ix) Annals of Rajputana

(x) Pratap

(xi) The Rise of Maratha Power

(xii) Shivaji

(xiii) Sufism

VII

(i) Arrival of Europeans in India.  East India Company

(ii) Conflict and Chaos of the 18th century

VIII

(i) Triumph of the British over Rivals in India.

(ii) War of Independence of 1857

(iii)  Rani Lakshmibai, Nanasaheb and Tope

IX

(i) Renaissance in India and Struggle for Freedom

(ii) Raja Ram Mohan Rai, Dayanada, Ramakrishna, Vivekananda

(iii) Birth of Indian National Congress

(iv) The first demand.  The moderates:   Ferozshah Mehta, Ranade and Gokhle

(v) The demand of the Nationalists Swarajya as the goal

(vi) Tilak and Sri Aurobindo

(vii) The Mantra of Bandfe Matram

(viii) Birth of new literature, art and Science

(ix) Bankim Chandra, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore

(x) The Revolutionaries

(xi) The Coming of Gandhi

(xii) The Role of Annie Beasent

(xiii) Jalianwala Bagh

(xiv) Chittranjan Das

(xv) Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru

(xvi) Political ideology of Satyagraha

(xvii) Non-cooperation and Awakening of Masses

(xviii) New leaders emerge

(xix) Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Azad, Vallabhai Patel, C. Rajagopalachari

(xx) Declaration of the goal of complete independence

(xxi) Jail experience of eminent leaders

(xxii) Gandhi and Jinnah

(xxiii) Gandhi and British Viceroys

(xxiv) Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose

(xxv) Gandhi and his constructive programme

(xxvi) Freedom struggle becomes a mass movement

(xxvii) Role of women in the freedom struggle

(xxviii) New Constitution of 1935

(xxix) Congress leaders join the government

(xxx) Congress leaders withdraw from the government

(xxxi) The British repression.  Problems of communal disharmony.  Churning of Indian masses.

(xxvii) Second World War and India

(xxxiii) Cripps proposals

(xxxiv) Rejection of Cripps proposals and Quit India Movement

(xxxv) Subhash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army

(xxxvi) Defeat of the Axis Powers and the End of Second World War

(xxxvii) Attlee and Mountbatten

(xxxviii) Acceptance of the tragic proposal of Partition

(xxxix) 15th August 1947; Birth of Free India

X

(i) Jawaharlal Nehru and Free India

(ii) The new Constitution of India 1949

(iii) India adopts Planning

(iv) Problems of contemporary India

(a) National integration
(b) Poverty and unemployment
(c) Politics, economics and morality
(d) Power and productivity
(e) Integrated rural development
(f) India and her neighbours
(g) India's educational policy
(h) India and the world
(i) New cultural awakening
(j) Science and spirituality.

Part II

Achievements of Indian Culture

1.Religion and spirituality:

(a) The aim of life and Paths of wisdom
(b) Materialism, Asceticism and the Middle Path
(c) Spirit of tolerance, assimilation and synthesis
(d) True understanding of religions:  Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Zorastrianism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism
(e) Synthesis of spiritual experience.

2. Indian Literature:

(a) Sanskrit and Tamil
(b) Birth of modern Indian languages
(c) Great literacy masters: a detailed study of one of them.

3. Indian art:

(a) The aim of Indian art
(b) An in-depth study of one of the schools of Indian painting, dance, drama,          sculpture or architecture
(c) Folklore and folk dances
(d) Indian art and crafts.

4. Indian Philosophy and Science:

(a) Methods of Knowledge: Institution, Reason and Sense-experience
(b) An in-depth study of one of the great Indian Scientists or philosophers
(c) Indian contributions to mathematics, astronomy, medicine, logic and psychology
(d) Indian systems of Yoga, their synthesis.

5. Theme of heroism in Indian Culture:

(a) Spirit of adventure and the creed of the Indian fighters
(b) An in-depth study of one of the greatest heroes of Indian history
(c) Indian heroism and the ideal of the consequent of truth.

6. Indian Festivals:

(a) Joy of life
(b) An in-depth study of one of the festival, of India.
(c) Festivals of India and national integration
(d) Festivals and daily life in India.

7. Indian Sports and Games:

(a) Place of physical culture
(b) An in-depth study of Yogic Asanas and their relationship with physical health and higher fulfilment
(c) An in-depth study of one of the indigenous games and sports of India
(d) Modern India and the world of sports.

8. The Theme of Perennial India:

(a) The greatness of India and continuity of Indian culture
(b) A diagnosis of the weakness of contemporary India
(c) How to build new India
(d) India and the ideal of human unity.

Part III

An in-depth study of one of the following themes:

(a) Secularism, tolerance and synthesis in Indian culture
(b) Unity and diversity of India
(c) Remedy of India's social evils
(d) Synthesis of democracy and socialism in the Indian context
(e) The contemporary Indian youth:  His aspiration:
(f) The young India's cultural eflorescene
(g) India and new paths of progress.

9

WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

Making of a teacher differs significantly from making, say, of an advocate or a surgeon.  The teacher is more than a mere skilled performer in a branch of his profession.  Of course, he must have the best of skill in accustoming the pupil to the austere joy of mastering a difficult theme, be it quadratic equation or the equation E-MC² or any other theme.  But, in the end, when the frontiers of knowledge change, the importance and even the validity of what is learnt may not survive.  What survives is the discipline of learning and the values acquired in the process.  Whatever be the topic teacher teaches, the ultimate values of his professional endeavour bear on the habits of living and thinking and enjoying life - the art of life - on what the pupil loves and cares for.  Thus the teacher fashions the life of the pupils which is the one single theme of all of education.  Skills in teaching are, no doubt important, but they do not take the teacher far.  An otherwise unashamedly dissolute teacher may teach effectively; he also influences lives of the pupils no less, but sadly.  Contact with great and good teachers as also with great ideas is the foundation of moral and spiritual education.  The most effective weapon of a teacher is the silent power of example; it matters in the end and always.  It is, therefore, necessary that teacher education should aim not at merely cultivation of professional skills but in making of man - a man of high character and noble vision.  This consideration brings to teacher education a very different purpose and responsibility which are not equally relevant to other professional education.

It is this concern which influences us in suggesting a unique type of organisation which will necessarily perform functions analogous to those of the professional bodies such as the Indian Council of Medical Education and Bar Council, but which, in addition, will be vested with responsibility of stimulating and organising thinking on the fundamental problem relating to philosophy and practice of education and their bearing on the problem of human values as well as those of national development and international solidarity.

We are not unaware of the magnitude of the problem of teacher education; the large number of teachers that need training of different kinds and at different periods of their career.  The entire process has to be viewed as a whole in a well conceived and integrated fashion and with sensitiveness to the intellectual and human values which we have emphasised in this report.

The National Council for Teacher Education, which was established under Resolution of the Ministry of Education dated the 21th May, 1973, was an important item in the direction of promoting a systematic reflection and action in regard to all matters concerning teacher education.  But the role of this Council has been only advisory in nature.  Thus the results have not been very effective.  The reports of the four regional study teams appointed by this Council in February, 1978, have revealed several glaring deficiencies in the functioning of teacher education institutions at both elementary and secondary levels, and they reinforce the necessity of evolving a more effective machinery or agency.

Most of the teacher education institutions suffer from lack of adequate facilities, and they do not adhere to the norms regarding physical facilities or provision of adequate staff.  Colleges of education are generally either under-staffed or the staff are under - qualified.  There are serious curricular deficiencies, and evaluation in teacher education is far from satisfactory.  There is no uniformity in the duration of teacher education. 

This is particularly so in the case of teacher education related to the elementary level.  In some states, there is only one-year programme while in others it is of two years' duration.  Moreover, due to various reasons, academic sessions for B.Ed. are delayed, and in some cases, effective teaching lasts only for three to six months, although the number of working days in a teacher education institution is expected to be at least 200 in a year.

Many private colleges have sprung up and in a number of degree colleges, teacher education courses have been instituted without ensuring the availability of suitable facilities and qualified staff.  Even capitation fees are being charged, thereby commercialising teacher education. 

In this context it would be pertinent to refer to the reports of the enormous corruption not only in seeking admission to teacher training institutions but also in passing the examination with inadequate or even proper training.   The teachers who have gone through this polluting mill and profited by it can hardly be expected to stand for high principles of rectitude and correct behaviour.

In about 15 universities, correspondence course leading to the award of B.Ed. and M.Ed. degrees have been started.  But serious questions are being raised as to whether such correspondence course are really relevant in a field where a personal contact between the trainer and the trainee is extremely important, and where the major objective is making of the man in the teacher and not merely a technician.   These questions require an urgent answer in view of the fact that the number of students both in regular colleges and in correspondence course has considerably increased.

There is in our country a backing of untrained teachers in several States.  And since there is no manpower planning in teaching profession, it is difficult to suggest any rational policy which states can follow in regard to the intake of fresh student teachers.

It seems obvious that urgent measures need to be taken to:

(a) introduce effective changes in the teacher education curriculum, particularly with a view to providing a powerful orientation towards value-education, which has been the main subject of our present report;
(b) suggest a rational duration for pre-service and in-service teacher training programmes;
(c) suggest effective methods of evaluation of trainees; and
(d) suggest measures for the maintenance of standards of teacher education and to meet various deficiencies and avoid evils which are prevalent in the field of teacher education.

In the preceding chapter, we have already made recommendations which are relevant to some of these issues.

But a major proposal that we now wish to make is that the Central Government should create a National Organisation which would have adequate powers and functions to ensure that the teachers who would be incharge of the care of the children, adolescents and youths of our country are not only well-trained in professional skills related to their subjects of specialisation but will also have effective personality and character capable of providing the needed guidance and inspiration to the growing minds and hearts of the young, as also a wise vision of our country and the world serving as a sure basis for patriotism, international understanding and voluntary optimism for a peaceful, progressive and glorious future.

The need for such a national organization arises from three important considerations.  Firstly, the National Council for Teacher Education which is already a national organisation, has expressed the view that it lacks authority to implement its resolutions and that it should be reconstituted as an autonomous statutory body for accrediting of teachers' training institution at all levels in the country and to function effectively in this regard with the universities and State Governments.  Secondly, there is a need in the country to establish and/or to support certain pace-setting value-oriented institutions for teacher education, atleast one in each State and Union Territory which would serve as models and which would ensure State-level research and experimentation in teacher education.  These pioneering and pace-setting value-oriented institutions should be rational in character and they should embody national policies in regard to teacher education.  There should thus be a national body charged with functions and powers to establish and conduct these pace-setting value-oriented institutions.  Thirdly, the evaluation of teacher-trainees, which needs a radical change, can be effectively handled, if the proposed national organisation is empowered to hold National Public Examinations which would reflect high and competent standards.

In practical terms, we recommend establishment of a National Council of Teacher Education - very different in scope and purpose from the existing one.

The aims of the proposed Council should be:

(i) To keep under review the institutions and programmes of teacher education in the country at all levels and to maintain high standard of teaching, research and examinations in the field of teacher education with a view to developing attitudes, skills and personality which would reflect the image of the teacher embodied in this report.

(ii) To establish and to maintain;

(a) Institutes of Teacher Education - designed especially to educate the staff of the colleges of teacher education in India; and

(b) pace-setting model institutions of teacher education preferably one in each State which should be utilised as centres for radiating new ideas and values in the region on the lines recommended in this Report

(iii) To provide aid, financial, material and human, and advice necessary for coordination and maintenance of high standards of teaching, examination and research and to stimulate thinking on problems of teacher-education

(iv) To function as an accrediting authority with powers to recognise or derecognise teacher training institutions and degrees awarded by them.

(v) To conceive of and implement programmes or strategies for bringing the existing teacher education institutions to conform to the aims and objects laid down by the Council.

(vi) To organise preparation of variety of resource material including material for audio-visual aids and use of educational technology necessary for promoting high standards of work in teacher training institutions.

(vii) To perform such other functions as may be conducive to the realisation of the aims and objectives of teacher education visualised by the Council on the lines recommended in this report.

(viii) To organise or support seminars, conferences, symposia as also to set up committees and penals for the promotion of the objectives, functions and activities of the Council.

We recommend the Government of India should undertake legislation under its powers of concurrency to create the proposed organisation.  The proposed national organisation should be fully financed by the Central Government to enable it to discharge its functions and to provide financial aid to teacher education institutions.

In addition to the present composition which consist of the Union Minister for Education as the President and 40 other members representing State Governments, University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education, Planning Commission, National Council of Educational Research and Training, Ministry of Education, Central Advisory Board of Education, 13 experts and a Member Secretary, there should be an executive body consisting of a full-time Chairman and five full-time members, all appointed by the Central Government, and it should have the power to appoint standing committees and other committees for carrying out various functions and responsibilities.   The Member Secretary of the Council will also be Member Secretary of the executive body.  The Chairman and Members should be eminent educationists, teachers and educational administrators.

The proposed national organisation should be in charge of implementing the value-oriented programmes of teachers' training.  The first step in implementation will be to prepare the educators of teacher educators.  For this purpose, selection should be made from among those candidates who are willing.  The trained educators should have the possibility of being appointed in the pace-setting value-oriented institutions as also in other institutions of teachers' education.

The value-oriented programmes that we have suggested in this Report should be fully implemented in the pace-setting value-oriented institutes which, we envisage, will be established by the proposed national organisation.  In these institutions, we recommend two streams.  In the first stream, there will be admitted those candidates who are willing to pursue the value-oriented teachers' training programme in its fullness over a period of five years leading to master's degree, after plus two stage of the 10 plus 2 plus 3 structure.  In the second stream, there will be those who wish to have two-year specialized training at these pioneering institutions after successful completion of their three-year degree course or after completion of Master degree course in any discipline, or after having qualified themselves for admission in an entrance examination conducted by the proposed national organisation.  We also recommend that some facilities should be provided as far as possible in other teacher training institutions also.

We further recommend that the two year teacher education programme may be provided on an optional basis in such a way that candidate has a possibility of completing the course in two phases, the first of one year duration in the institution and the second year's course may be completed over 3 maximum period of five years through several summer or other short courses to be organised specially for this purpose by the institution concerned.  The teachers who completed the first year's course may be permitted to teach in a secondary school as probationary teachers and will be confirmed only on completion of the second year's course.

As far as the curriculum  for the two year teacher education course is concerned, we have already given detailed programme of studies related to value-education in earlier chapters.  However, implementation of this curriculum in the existing one -  year teacher education course may take sometime.  So as an interim measure, we recommend that the teachers' training institutions introduce three special papers in their present teacher training programme.  These three papers will be related respectively to (i) and (ii) philosophy and psychology of value-oriented education; and (iii) India and Indian values.  These three papers will be proposed to all the teacher trainees as optional papers in place of any other three papers which are at present prescribed for the teachers' training institutions may be recommended to incorporate in their total programme of teachers' education as many elements as possible from amongst all the various suggestions that we have made in regard to value-orientation in our Report.  We emphasise that this will be only as a temporary measure, till the full programme as recommended by us earlier is implemented, which we hope will not be delayed unduly.  We feel that this temporary measure should not be difficult and that ready means will be found to incorporate our suggestions/recommendations in the papers connected with philosophical and psychological foundation of education and philosophical and sociological study of education and emerging society.  We wish further to underline that the new papers that we have suggested should be conducted in the manner and in the atmosphere that we have suggested in earlier chapters by people who are competent to do so, and that care should be taken to provide to the teacher trainees not only the theoretical knowledge but also practical experience.  Finally, we urge that all teachers' training institutions in our country should progressively adopt value-oriented education in its fullness.

The proposed pace-setting value-oriented institutes may not only offer teacher training courses for secondary level but also offer teacher training facilities for teaching at the elementary school level.  The duration of this teacher education programme (for teaching at the elementary school level) should be two years after the senior secondary (+2).  The curriculum for teacher education at the elementary level besides enriching and upgrading the knowledge of the teacher-trainee in the school subjects, should also impart necessary pedagogic training.  We recommend that the pedagogical aspects of teacher education at the elementary level will be similar to those outlined in earlier chapter for secondary teacher education, except that the same basic principle will have to be presented in simpler language so that the teacher trainees may comprehend.

We also recommend that value-orientation should be treated as a central thrust not only of our teachers' training programmes but also for our schools and colleges meant for the children, adolescents and youths.  The aspirations of the value-oriented teachers can be fulfilled only if increasing number of schools and colleges in our country begin to provide value-oriented education.

We further recommend that the proposed national organisation should undertake appropriate programmes for educating parents in the ideas and ideals of value-oriented education.

Before concluding our report, we would like to emphasise the need to provide inservice training in value-oriented education to all the teachers who are at present engaged in teaching.  We recommend that the national organisation may frame as soon as possible a suitable scheme in this regard.  We would also like to underline the need to propose that the teachers in colleges and universities should also pursue a programme of value-oriented education and undergo training in this regard.

We are convinced that teachers are destined to play a major role in the shaping of the destiny of mankind.  In view of the fact that this destiny stands today in a balance, fraught with dangerous possibilities of upheavals, catastrophes and cataclysms, we must pay central attention to the task of building up a large number of men and women into teachers who can stand in the coming days as hero-warriors and as leaders and pioneers dedicated to the highest values the promotion of which alone can ensure the survival and fulfilment of the human race.  In this task, programmes of value oriented education are indispensable.  We, therefore, recommend to the Government to take urgent steps to implement the recommendations that we have made in this Report.