NIOS launches six-month bridge course for B.Ed-qualified primary teachers

The Ministry of Education has launched a six-month Certificate (Bridge) Course in Primary Teacher Education for eligible in-service primary teachers who hold B.Ed. degrees.

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the programme in New Delhi on Sep 16. The course will be implemented through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) under the framework of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

The programme is specifically meant for teachers already appointed at the primary level and is not a general qualification route for B.Ed. graduates seeking fresh employment as primary teachers. NIOS states that the bridge course is intended to provide professional development to in-service primary teachers with B.Ed. qualifications.

Who is eligible for the bridge course

The standard eligibility criteria cover in-service primary teachers who were appointed to teach Classes 1 to 5 between June 28, 2018 and August 11, 2023, and whose appointments are covered under the NCTE Gazette Notification dated June 28, 2018.

Teachers whose appointment date falls outside this period can register under the court-order category if they have obtained relaxation from a court. NIOS requires such candidates to submit an affidavit, writ petition and copy of the court order along with their registration.

The course follows directions issued by the Supreme Court in its April 8, 2024 order in Devesh Sharma vs Union of India and Others. The NIOS portal says the NCTE is to design the bridge course under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Education.

Course structure and assessment

The six-month programme will be offered through the Open and Distance Learning mode. It consists of six academic courses and a school experience component, carrying a total of 20 credits and 500 marks.

The academic components cover Child Development and Educational Psychology, Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, Pedagogy of Language-I, Pedagogy of Language-II, Pedagogy of Mathematics and Pedagogy of The World Around Us.

The programme also requires at least 20 teaching days as part of school experience and at least 10 days of contact classes. Teachers must maintain a minimum attendance of 80% during the school-experience component.

During school experience, teachers will plan and teach lessons in Language-I, Language-II, Mathematics and The World Around Us. The programme also includes a portfolio, activities involving children, and a reflective journal.

The stated objectives include helping teachers understand primary-school children, develop age-appropriate teaching practices, address classroom diversity and assess children's learning. The programme also covers the use of emerging technologies in primary teacher education.

The medium of instruction is Hindi and English. Teachers can, however, write the public examination in any of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, according to details reported on the programme.

NIOS has also specified that completing the bridge course within the timeframe prescribed by the concerned educational authorities is necessary. Failure to complete it within that period will invalidate the appointment of eligible candidates. The bridge-course certificate will not be valid for teachers seeking subsequent employment as primary teachers.

The NIOS portal currently lists 76,731 registrations for the programme, including 67,529 paid applications. The portal also shows that a court-order registration window was open from July 30 to September 3, 2026 for eligible teachers who had obtained judicial relaxation.