Congress pushes govt to act on teacher shortage, training reforms

The Congress on Aug 13 spotlighted a parliamentary panel’s call for urgent action to address the massive shortage of teachers in the country, urging the government to fill an estimated 10 lakh vacant posts in schools.

According to party communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, headed by Digvijaya Singh, recently tabled a report in Parliament recommending sweeping changes in teacher recruitment and training.

He said the panel has sought an end to the hiring of contractual teachers, arguing that the practice weakens the constitutional guarantee of reservations for SC, ST, and OBC candidates in government jobs.

The report also proposes revising the draft National Council on Teacher Education (NCTE) Regulations, 2025, to eliminate what it described as “hyperspecialization and segmentation” in the existing Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP).

Ramesh said the committee has pushed for continuing the Bachelor’s in Elementary Education (B.El.Ed) course, a university program in place for over 30 years that is known for producing competent teachers.

The panel also wants the NCTE to restart permanent staff recruitment, which has been stalled since 2019, and to expand the role of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) even after ITEP becomes widely implemented.

“These are clear recommendations from the committee to improve both the quality and accessibility of teacher education in the country,” Ramesh said.