New teacher training programme set for exponential growth

However, the ITEP faces several challenges, including faculty shortage and a curriculum that some critics say is backward-looking

- Shradha Chettri

Over the next few years, the number of institutions offering the new Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) is expected to grow exponentially. Around 1,400 institutions have either sought permission to launch the four-year teacher training degree course or to convert existing offerings into it.

As part of the clutch of reforms ushered in by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the teacher education programmes at higher education institutions were set for sea change.

The key reform meant to initiate this change was the introduction of the four-year ITEP. Two years after launch, it is still limited to just 64 institutions. Faculty crunch, requirement of immense co-ordination and a calendar at odds with that of other programmes due to delayed admissions have plagued the course where it is run.

That said, students appreciate the opportunity of a dual degree. A BA.BEd, BSc.BEd or BCom.BEd, as these programmes are called, can be obtained in four years - a major in a specific discipline plus an education degree. Before this, a BEd took five years - three years of an undergraduate degree followed by two years of BEd.

ITEP origins

ITEP was launched as a pilot in 42 institutions in the 2023-24 academic session. It became the first teacher education programme in elite technical colleges, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs). Now, 19 central universities, 21 state universities, seven NITs, three IITs and 14 colleges offer the ITEP.

Admission is through the National Common Entrance Test (NCET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).