Conceptualizing Future Trends of Teacher Education in India

Abstract

India possesses a rich heritage of education that started from the ancient period which attracted scholars from different parts of the world. In the glorious Vedic period, Indian teachers were well competent in materialistic as well as mystical knowledge and they were exemplary models of what they preach. During those periods, the prime objective of education was self-actualization. In the Mediaeval period also there have been some remarkable changes in Indian education which has contributed in its way by Mughal emperors. Both in the ancient and mediaeval periods, the teachers had enjoyed a respectable position in society. In the post-independent period, many efforts have been made to transform the role of teachers to meet social demands. Accordingly, some efforts have been made to reform the teacher preparation programmes across the country. The expansion and rapid growth of school education have brought out great pressure to the system of teacher preparation then prevailed. This necessitated a significant updating of the curriculum and its mode of transaction according to the changing societal needs. Even though national and state-level resources are used in the field of teacher education, pre-service, and in-service skill enhancement, the teacher education system of the country is lacking the prospective vision corollary with the changing socio-economic perspectives and technological advancements. The present system has been subjected to sporadic changes to meet the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought in all realms of life. There is a great need for rigour to produce prospective teachers and teacher educators who can respond to the changing needs of society vibrantly and meticulously. Here an attempt was done to analyse the progressive pathway of the Indian teacher education system with due stress on the quality apprehensions. The effort is made to present a futuristic curricular approach to teacher education envisaged to meet the challenges of the present and to lead the progressive movement of the nation sustainably.