Alternative schools want changes in BEd course
The Right To Education (RTE) Act requires teachers to possess a D.Ed, B.Ed or equivalent degree, but alternative schools are concerned that they may be unable to meet the condition.
The Right To Education (RTE) Act requires teachers to possess a D.Ed, B.Ed or equivalent degree, but alternative schools are concerned that they may be unable to meet the condition.
A petition filed in the Delhi high court last week prays that alternative schools be exempted from the Act.
In a document presented to then minister for human resources development Kapil Sibal last year, a group of educators from alternative schools across the country had suggested modifications to the Act.
Their foremost concerns were the Act’s emphasis on infrastructure, specific kind of teacher training and curriculum standardisation.
Alternative schools follow teaching methods that require their teachers to be trained differently and principals feel that the BEd is in itself an inadequate degree.
“If the B.Ed curriculum doesn’t change, that will be a problem,” said Kavita Anand, executive director of Shishuvan School in Matunga, which has been previously referred to as “alternative”, but doesn’t itself subscribe to that category.
“The B.Ed course doesn’t train the teacher adequately at all.” Alternative schools have embraced the Act on the whole, but are concerned about the teacher certification requirement, and implementing a standardised curriculum.
The Act gives schools a three year period to meet various requirements.
The state government is yet to frame the rules for its implementation.