Strengthening Teacher Education in Bihar

Abstract

Abstract India is the youngest country today due to its youth population and if the nation has to be the power centre of the world it has to channelize the potential of young Bharat. Population Dividend cannot be obtained without developing a system to direct the energy of the Young India and no need to say that education is the answer to all these questions. Teacher and her education have their bearing on the quality of education that is the prerequisite for quality manpower. Teacher education does not bear the responsibility of the preparation of quality teacher up to desirable level. India in general and Bihar in particular need to strengthen its teacher education preparation system. Perhaps Bihar is the poorest potential state in terms of teacher education preparation mechanism, especially in the area of secondary teacher education. Only Patna University has Faculty of Education and Department of Education. There are few government colleges providing B.Ed. and M.Ed. study facility. Vacancy in these institutions has not been full-filled since long. As per the two years B.Ed. programme the Bihar Cabinet has to sanction new and more posts and that is also pending. Development of Faculty and Department of Education in every university of the state, sanction and creation of posts for two years B.Ed. & M.Ed. programmes, preparation in advance for the implementation of four years integrated B.Ed. programme, timely appointment of required faculty members, proper funding, implementation of Criterion Referenced Evaluation in teacher preparation & selection, etc. are some of the measures that can enrich the secondary level teacher preparation programme of the state.