Hello friends, A big change is going to happen in the education sector. If you or any member of your family is dreaming of becoming a teacher, then this news is very important for you. The B.El.Ed (Bachelor of Elementary Education) program running for 30 years is going to become history soon. The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has recently issued a proposal, according to which this program will be discontinued in 2026 and will be replaced by ITEP (Integrated Teacher Education Program).
Why is B.El.Ed being discontinued?
This program was started by Delhi University in 1994 and provided four years of teacher education after 12th. But now NCTE says that the education system is being reformed under the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and for this reason, the old course is being changed to a new program. Now the question arises whether this change is right. Some people are considering this as a positive step, as ITEP is being introduced as a more modern and advanced course. But many academics and students believe that B.El.Ed was a great course, which developed teaching skills, practical knowledge and a deep understanding of the subject matter.
What is ITEP and how will it be different?
ITEP is also a four-year teacher education program, but it will have options for BA B.Ed, B.Sc B.Ed and B.Com B.Ed. It was started in pilot mode in some institutions in 2023 and now it will be implemented across the country from 2025-26. Under ITEP, teachers will also get a chance to specialize in yoga, physical education, Sanskrit education and art education.
But will it be as effective as B.El.Ed? Many academics believe that ITEP is a “3+1 model”, in which there will be three years of graduation and one year of education training. Delhi University professor Poonam Batra has expressed displeasure over this change. He says that B.El.Ed used to train teachers in-depth, while ITEP takes a superficial approach to teaching.
The new entrance exam for B.Ed and M.Ed
Now NCTE has also proposed that there will be a “national level exam” for admission to B.Ed and M.Ed courses, which will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Till now there were CUET-UG and CUET-PG exams for B.Ed and M.Ed in central universities, but now there will be a separate exam for this. However, its complete format has not been decided yet.
Will this improve the quality of teachers or increase problems?
NEP 2020 says that by 2030, a four-year integrated B.Ed degree will be mandatory to become a teacher. That is, if an institute wants to run a B.Ed course, it will also have to run ITEP. This policy has been made with the goal that the quality of teachers in India should be improved and they should be given international-level training. However many educationists and students fear that this will make teacher education very limited and rigid. The autonomy of universities may end and the education system may become completely centralized.
Is it the right decision to close B.El.Ed and bring in ITEP? Will this make the process of becoming a teacher easier or more difficult? Only time will tell in which direction this decision will take the Indian education system in the coming years. But one thing is certain – this change is going to affect the future of millions of students and teachers.
Disclaimer: This article is written to provide information only. Get information from official sources before making any decision related to the education system.
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