Bhubaneswar: Teacher training institutes in Odisha will soon offer a four-year B.Ed course, Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said Thursday.
The course will be offered at eight of the 16 teacher training institutes or B.Ed colleges across the state while the remaining eight institutes will implement the programme in the near future, he said.
The eight institutes signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with the nearest government degree colleges to implement the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP). The MoUs were signed in the presence of the minister here.
ITEP will soon be introduced in these institutions in accordance with the regulations of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
This initiative will enable teacher training institutes to adopt a multidisciplinary approach, he said.
“Our goal is to strengthen the foundation and infrastructure of the colleges and to provide quality education to the students. ITEP will allow students to complete their B.Ed within four years after class 12,” Suraj said.
Earlier, students had to complete a three-year undergraduate degree followed by a two-year B.Ed programme, requiring a total of five years.
However, with ITEP, students can directly enrol in the integrated programme and complete the course in four years. This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aims to strengthen the education system in the state, the minister said.
Additionally, the Higher Education Department has allocated Rs 168 crore to enhance the infrastructure of 189 private degree colleges in the state.
This financial support will be used for the construction of additional classrooms, laboratories, canteens, libraries, common rooms, multipurpose halls, administrative and academic buildings, he added.
PTI
