Fewer and fewer people are entering the profession due to love for teaching, professional competence or a spirit of making a difference. By and large, students from the bottom of the class are becoming teachers. Instances where people have turned to teaching after being refused positions as bank clerks are not uncommon.
This can be catastrophic for a nation, as lesser and lesser capable individuals teach successive generations. The result is falling standards, global uncompetitiveness and stagnation in living conditions. In such a situation, it is comforting, but foolish, to look at the successes of a miniscule population that does well in India and abroad and console ourselves.
The only true solution is to work to develop a cadre of good teachers. Teachers who teach English, History and Science, but first teach children. Teachers who loves their pupils, love teaching, know their subjects and have the requisite teaching skills.
In a regular 1 year B.Ed. programme, students teach for about 30 days in a year. At Eklavya, they spend three hours almost daily observing and teaching in partner schools for two years.
Practical training is supported by classes which use a variety of instructional methods like case studies, excursions, projects, seminars and meetings with practising education professionals. The curriculum is a modern one designed on internationally accepted lines after studying leading teacher education programmes in India and abroad.
Students are exposed to computers and the Internet from day 1. Apart from this, one hour is set aside daily for activities like Personality Development, Yoga, art & craft, music & dance.
Finally, attitudinal training
is a key compoment of the programme. After all, enthusiasm can move mountains,
and more can be achieved by a group of positive-minded, enthusiastic teachers
than merely skilled ones.
