1. 9SHODH, SAMIKSHA AUR MULYANKAN
International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, ISSN 0974-2832, (Print), E- ISSN- 2320-5474, Aug-Oct, 2013 ( Combind ) VOL –V * ISSUE – 55-57
Teacher education is an integral component of educa-
tional system. It is intimately connected with society
and is conditioned by the ethos, culture and character
of a nation. The constitutional goals, the directive
principlesofthestatepolicy,thesocio-economicprob-
lemsandthegrowthofknowledge,theemergingexpec-
tations and the changes operating in education, etc.
call for an appropriate response from a futuristic edu-
cationsystemandprovidetheperspectivewithinwhich
teacher education programmes need to be viewed.
IntroductionofTeacherEducation
The need for improved levels of educational
participation for overall progress is well recognized.
The key role of educational institutions in realizing it
is reflectedin avarietyofinitiatives takento transform
the nature and function of education both formal as
well as non-formal. Nearly 430 District institutes of
Education and Training (DIETs) have already been
establishedby1997-98.TheDIETsarechargedwiththe
responsibilityoforganizingpre-serviceandin-service
programmes in addition to being the nodal resource
centersforelementaryeducationatdistrictlevel.Like-
wise,CollegesofTeacherEducation(CTEs)and Insti-
tutions ofAdvanced Study in Education (IASEs) have
been given the responsibility of introducing innova-
tions in teacher education programmes at the second-
ary stages and in vocational education.
Today, there are more than 200 universities
and 800 colleges. Kothari commission remarks "The
destiny of India is being shaped in its classrooms." No
doubt education plays a significant role in nation's
development but the quality of education is greatly
determined by the quality of teachers, therefore, great
efforts were made and still are being made to improve
the quality of teacher education.
Indian teacher education system has been
strengthened a lot during the past couple of years. The
NCTERegulation2007wererevisitedandmodifiedby
theNCTEandnotifiedin2009.TheElementarySchool
Teacherqualificationswereworkedoutandnotified in
August 2010. The TET inclusion in qualifications has
beenwidelyappreciated,wherein,itwasprovided that
even after obtaining the necessary qualifications the
teacher will have to obtain at least 60% marks in TET.
Norms and standards for two year diploma in per-
formingandnon-performingArtEducationwereworked
outbytheCouncilandnotified inAugust2009.Teacher
education New Curriculum Framework was designed
and releasedduringMarch2010.Thestudyofdemand
and supply of trained teachers in States and union
Territories at primary, upper primary and secondary
levels was completed by the council in 2010 and pub-
lished in 30 volumes. The recognition of sizable num-
ber of below standard teacher education institutions
was withdrawn. A large number of teacher education
institutions have shifted to their own premises. Bridge
courses have been introduced to strengthen teacher
education, where found wanting. Online applications
and self-disclosure drives were introduced. A manual
hasbeendesigned onthestructureand functioningofthe
labs University of teacher education has come up at
Chennai.IITEisbeingestablishedinGujarat.Manyinte-
grated teachereducation programmes areproposed. Pri-
vate teacher education universities are also coming up.
ProblemsofTeachereducation
The efforts made by the NCTE are indeed
appreciable.Teacher Educationhas been struggling to
strengthen its identity. Struggle does not mean
degenerationof values and degeneration of institu-
tions. It is true that after persistent struggle there is
evidentimprovement,butstillthereisno endtoperfec-
tion. Every establishment has noise. There are issues
and resolves, problems and solutions, puzzles and
pathways. Reflections on some of the issues/problems
concerning teacher education in India are presented in
this research paper.
Some of the problems concerning teacher education
are discussed below-
SocialProblems
Casteism,communalismandregionalismare
some ofthe problems in the body politic ofthe society,
which misguide the youth. Increasing delinquency,
violence, terrorism and fissiparous tendencies and use
of inappropriate means to get one's ends served are
threats to the national integration and social cohesion.
Democracy,violenceandterrorismcannotcoexist.The
explosion of population with all its allied disturbing
trends is not only neutralizing the economic gains but
Research Paper - Education
Aug- Oct , 2013
Teacher Education:
ProblemsandTheirSolutions
* AcademicAssociate SchoolofEducation, UttarakhndOpenUniversity
* Siddharth Kumar Pokhriyal

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International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, ISSN 0974-2832, (Print), E- ISSN- 2320-5474, Aug-Oct, 2013 ( Combind ) VOL –V * ISSUE – 55-57
also creating many problems for the country. Indian
society still suffers from evils like child labour, child
marriage,untouchability,anddiscriminatorytreatment
to women, violation of human rights etc. and most of
the people are unaware of their legal rights.
Problems of Cultural Reconstruction
Education is the process of transmission of dynamic
and responsive componentsofculturalheritage and its
continuous enrichment. There is a need to reinterpret
the Indian culture in its distinctidentity and composite
strength.
IsolationofTeacherEducation
Teacher education Institutions which were
considered 'islands of isolation' have gradually devel-
oped linkages with schools, peer institutions, univer-
sities and other institutions of higher learning as also
thecommunity.Thecurriculumoftheschool,itsactual
transactionalmodalities,examinationsystem,manage-
ment processes and its ethos need to be the main thrust
areas of teacher education programmes. It is observed
in day-to-day functioning that teacher educators often
tend to losecontact with content areasrelevant to their
own disciplines resulting into gaps in communication
and latest information.
The schools consider the teacher education
department as an alien institution and not a nursery for
theprofessionaldevelopmentofschoolteacher.These
departments only observe the formality of finishing
the prescribed number of lessons no caring for the
sounders of pedagogy involved in the procedure.
Vision & Mission Mismatch
Teacher education universities are also coming up.
But, there are evident mismatches amongst vision,
establishment, and mission.
NoTeacherEducationPolicy
There is no Teacher Education policy in In-
dia.ButwhowillformulateTeacherEducationpolicy?
To preserve the identity and sancttity of education, it
is high time that we introduce Indian educational ser-
vices. It is unfortunate that education is not even con-
sidered as an entity. Identity Crisis
Every teacher education institution ought
to have valid identity. Valid identity means valid insti-
tutional land & plant,valid settings, valid inputs, valid
process and valid products. Each And every teacher
and teacher educator ought to have aunique identifi-
cation number. Teacher education will have to revive
and build its identity.
Problemofselection
Defects of selection procedure lead to dete-
rioration of the quality of teachers. Better selection
method would not only improve the quality of training
but also save the personal and social wastage.
DeficienciesofsmalltimeperiodprovidedforTeacher's
training The main purpose of teacher education
programmeistodevelophealthyattitude.,broadbased
intrest and values. It is not possible during the short
duration of nine months.
Inadequate Empirical Research /Poor Research sce-
nario
In India, research in education has been
considerably neglected. The research conducted is of
inferiorquality.Theteachereducationprogrammesare
not properly studied before undertaking any research.
Research in education is replicate and repetitive de-
void of freshness, either of problem or of approach or
of methodology. There is lack of continuity, cumula-
tiveness and synthesis in most of the studies. Most of
the studies are descriptive rather than preventive and
ameliorative.
Lackofsubjectknowledge
The B.Ed. programme does not emphasize
the knowledge of the basic subject. The whole teach-
ing practiceremains indifferent with regard to the sub-
ject knowledge of the student teacher.
Inadequate Technology Infusion
Teacher Education programmes are largely
traditional. In India teacher educators are averse to
innovation and experimentation in the use of methods
of teaching. Their acquaintance with modern class-
room communication devices is negligible. We have
not yet been in a position to infuse the technological
innovations for transacting the education. There is
more of knowledge deepening than knowledge con-
struction.
Lackofproperfacilities
In India, the teacher education programme is
being given a step-motherly treatment. About 20 per-
cent of the teacher education institutions are being run
in rented buildings without any facility for an experi-
mental school or laboratory, library and other equip-
ments necessary for a good teacher education depart-
ment.Thereareno separatehostelfacilitiesforstudent
teachers.
Insufficientfinancialgrants Inmostofthestatesteacher
education is still being run by the fee collected from
studentteachers, as the share ofstate grantis too small.
Suggestions for Solutions of Teacher education Prob-
lems
Some suggestions to remedial solutions of teacher
educationproblemsare-
1. The courses of studies both in theory and practice
should be reorganised. For this a pragmatic research
should be conducted by some universities too what is
thecoursestructurewhichwillbehelpfulforrealisation
of the goals of teacher education. A compre

3. 11SHODH, SAMIKSHA AUR MULYANKAN
International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, ISSN 0974-2832, (Print), E- ISSN- 2320-5474, Aug-Oct, 2013 ( Combind ) VOL –V * ISSUE – 55-57
hensivejobanalysisofteachinginourschools
should necessarily be made the basis for
recasting of courses in teacher education.
2. There are demand and supply imbalances in
teachereducation.Appreciableattemptshave
been made for manpower planning. But, the
manpower planning still needs to be done
morescientifically.Itisexpected thatthevari
ous States governments playan active role in
manpower planning.
3. ATeachereducationdepartmentshould there
fore,conductspecialinnovativeprogrammes
inthefollowingdirections:-Seminar,combin
ing of seminar and discussions with lectures,
team teaching panel discussion and projects
sponsored by the faculty members for im
provement of learning in various spheres.
4. Quality teachers can be developed through
skilled and competent teacher education pro
fessionals who have passion for profession.
Thereshould beno compromise withthe stan
dards and norms.
5. TheadmissionproceduresofB.Ed.should be
completely systematised and steps should
be taken to make it full proof against temper
ing and meddling as far as possible.
6. Novel ideas die because of non-
incubation.Personalized teacher education,
wholistic teacher education, specialized
teacher education, and rarely found because
wedon'thavethecapacitytotoleraterepeated
failures arising out of experimentation. One-
shot success is afairy tale and not the reality
of life. The society and its institutions must
havethecapacitytotolerategenuinemistakes
committed inadvertentlyduringthecourseof
innovation.
7. The teacher education department should be
organised on the basis on the basis of
evedence obtainable from reseraching such
areas as follows, "Teacher Behaviour" devel
oping conceptual framework and a theory of
institution". Innovative practices of teaching
such as microteaching, simulation and inter
action analysis procedures.
8. Irrespective of geographical and cultural con
text,educationisneededforallandtherefore,
it should be anational priority instead of leav
ingthesubjectinthedomainofstates.Forthis
education should be shifted to the central list
oftheconstitutionfromtheconcurrentlist.In
ordertomakeitlocallyrelevant,thefinancial
and administrative arrangement be jointly
shared, both, by the Centre and States. This
would hopefully loose the chains of political
interference in the university system.
9. Libraries are need to be enriched with com
plete and comprehensive refrence section
equippedwithallavailablejournalsforuseby
all the reserachers.
10. Thereis aneed oftechnological revolutionin
teacher education.There is a shift from bach
elor of teaching to bachelor of learning, that
too, bachelor of e-learning. There are propos
alsfore-TeacherEducation.SmartClassrooms
are emerging, wherein, we have e-learning
and e-testing.TermslikeWi-Fi,iPad,e-Book,
e-Reader, e-News Letter,Webinar are widely
used.
Every fault of Teacher Education is attrib-
uted to the National Council of Teacher
Education.Rather than finding faults let us try to meet
the gaps between our policies and programmes, vision
and mission, wish and will. The foregoing analysis
highlights the malaise plaguing the Indian Teacher
Education System. It calls for revolutionary changes.
There should be open forums and public debates on
TeacherEducationpolicy,ratherthanleavingittosome
selected committees and commissions.
1. Vallikkad, Santosh(2009). Information Communication Technology For Teacher education, Kanishka Publisher, New Delhi
2. Goel D.R., Goel Chayya.Teacher Education in India; Currents Problems & Concerns
R E F E R E N C E