Centre to start refresher courses for teachers

New Delhi: Against the backdrop of teacher training programme being revamped, the government said it was also working on introducing refresher courses to help them acquire knowledge about the latest developments in the field. "The National Council for Teachers Education is working on a refresher programme. This is being done to ensure that teachers are navigated through a huge maze of knowledge and information developing in this fast changing world," School Education Secretary Vrinda Sarup said at an event.

The government had earlier announced from the next session onwards, the two teaching degrees - BEd and MEd - would be two-year courses. At a state education ministers conference last week, Sarup had said that an integrated four-year course leading to BA and BEd degree will be started immediately after Class XII to attract bright minds from an early age into the profession.

Those who want to be primary school teachers can get into two-year diploma in education course after Class XII. Pursuing the MEd programme under the open and distance learning mode has been dropped. Subjects such as yoga, information and communication technology, gender and children with special needs will be included in all the teacher education programmes, she said.