Against the backdrop of drastic drop in admissions, and implications of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that lays emphasis on a four-year integrated B.Ed. programme, a number of colleges of education are staring at the eventuality of fading away into oblivion over the next few years.
Due to the perceptible inertia in recent years, many colleges in the central region, in fact, have not been able to furnish the names of the principals to the Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University (TNTEU), according to sources. In a letter to the colleges, the TNTEU had, during March, instructed them to provide a status report on the principals who continue to hold the post.
The colleges that function with in-charge principals have not been able to comply with the TNTEU instruction since they were not able to get the qualification approval orders from the university in recent years, a functionary of a college management said.
The managements of the colleges of education have their fingers crossed as the NEP 2020 envisages doing away with B.Ed. programme and replacing it with four-year B.Sc. B.Ed./ B.A. B.Ed. programmes.
As per official records, there are 697 colleges of education across Tamil Nadu. In the Central region, Tiruchi district has as many as 35 colleges of education, followed by 25 in Thanjavur, 21 in Pudukottai, 17 in Nagapattinam district, 10 each in Ariyalur and Perambalur districts, nine in Karur district and six in Thiruvarur district.
These colleges can stay afloat only for a few years since the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) intends to initiate the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) from the next academic year. Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University (TNTEU) is also an applicant for the NCTE nod to start the course.
Since the ITEP course seeks to integrate B.Ed degree with basic BA or BSc degrees, the affiliated colleges see no possibility for remaining relevant after a few years since the idea of NCTE is to phase out the B.Ed. and M.Ed. programmes gradually.
Also, admission to the integrated programme will not be a cakewalk since the NCTE has decided to conduct a national-level common entrance test for the ITEP course, which will be offered at multi-disciplinary colleges and universities.
The NCTE norms that permit only full-fledged arts and science colleges to offer the ITEP have raised curiosity among academicians about the pattern of affiliation.
Since the multi-disciplinary colleges are affiliated to the State universities, the ITEP cannot, technically, remain under affiliation of TNTEU, according to a Vice-Chancellor of a State University.
Published - May 27, 2021 04:30 pm IST
