NCTE sets up two panels to amend teacher recruitment norms, make ITEP graduates eligible

The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has set up two expert committees to amend teacher recruitment qualification rules and eligibility criteria for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) and State Teacher Eligibility Tests (STET), paving the way for graduates of its four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) to become eligible for school teaching jobs.

The move comes ahead of the first batch of ITEP students completing the programme in 2027.

Launched in the 2023-24 academic session by NCTE, the ITEP aims to prepare teachers for the various stages of school education in accordance with the new 5+3+3+4 curricular and pedagogical structure, envisaged under the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.

The 5+3+3+4 split divides 15 years of schooling into four stages: Foundational (5 years, ages 3-8), Preparatory (3 years, ages 8-11), Middle (3 years, ages 11-14), and Secondary (4 years, ages 14-18).

NEP 2020 envisages the four-year integrated degree becoming the minimum qualification for school teachers by 2030.

At present, the CTET/STET eligibility framework prescribes different teacher education qualifications for candidates seeking to teach at the primary (Classes 1 to 5) and upper-primary (Classes 6 to 8) levels. These include a two-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed), a four-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed), a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed), and a four-year integrated B.A.Ed/B.Sc.Ed programmes, subject to the prescribed academic and professional qualifications for each level.

Qualifying the relevant TET is one of the essential requirements for appointment to covered teaching posts, along with other eligibility conditions prescribed by the respective recruiting authorities.

The mandate of the two panels

The two committees will examine the existing regulatory provisions and recommend amendments to accommodate ITEP in recruitment drives and STET and CTET – qualifying teacher eligibility tests in India used to hire school teachers. HT has seen the order copy regarding the constitution of both committees.

The first committee, constituted by an office order dated October 8 and chaired by former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Prof Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, will examine amendments to the NCTE's 2014 regulations governing the minimum qualifications for the recruitment of school teachers. It has been asked to prepare a draft amendment to include ITEP as a recognised minimum qualification for school teacher recruitment and to submit it to the NCTE chairperson within 30 days of the order.

The 12-member committee includes representatives or nominees from the Union education ministry's Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), Rehabilitation Council of India and Haryana's State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). It also includes academics from Delhi University.

According to the October 8 order, there is an “urgent need” to include ITEP as a recognised qualification in the existing recruitment regulations to “ensure that the qualifications prescribed for recruitment of teachers remain aligned with the teacher education programmes recognised by the NCTE.”

The second committee, constituted on October 12 and chaired by retired Delhi University professor Chand Kiran Saluja, will review the existing guidelines governing CTET and STET and recommend changes to make ITEP graduates eligible to appear for these examinations.

The 10-member panel includes representatives from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), DoSEL, CBSE, KVS and NVS, along with academics from Delhi University.

Its terms of reference include examining the inclusion of ITEP as an eligibility pathway for TET and reviewing provisions relating to CTET, STET and the role of the appropriate authorities to ensure their “harmonisation” with the new programme. The committee has been asked to submit its recommendations, along with proposed amendments to the TET guidelines, by October 31.

The two committees may also invite subject experts and representatives of ministries, regulatory bodies, examination agencies, higher education institutions, school boards and states and Union territories for consultations.

How is ITEP different?

The ITEP programme, which offers a four-year integrated degree after Class 12, is intended to replace the conventional route of obtaining a bachelor's degree followed by a two-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree.

According to the NCTE’s October 12 order, as many as 409 higher education institutions have been recognised to offer ITEP, with a combined intake of 38,850 students across 777 units.