Mangaluru: Under Directorate of State Educational, Research and Training (DSERT) there are six prime Centers for Teachers’ Education (CTEs). They have been imparting teachers training to serving staff as well as aspirants over the years. In addition they are involved in curriculum formation, vocational training, career guidance and educational assessment at different levels.

The teaching community serving in CTE s received a rude shock in the state budget proposals for the current year to move these premier CTE s to the higher education department.

According to the guidelines given by the National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE), it is advisable to retain qualified M.Ed teachers and other experienced teachers in the education department itself . The teachers feel it is imperative to resort to this guideline mainly because:

Ø  One Principal functions in the position of an Assistant director and other 3 readers in each CTE are functioning effectively and are striving to improve the quality of education over a period of time with new plans.

Ø  The decision will deny the staff the promotion in the sector as and when they are due specially effecting direct recruits.

Ø  In addition to imparting education to teachers these centers are playing a vital role in locating the problems and finding ways to solve them through extensive research and analysis.

Ø  The existing state CTEs are performing better than private centers that exist which are evident from the fact that there are no vacant slots for new aspirants to pursue their training as all centres are full.

Ø  Many who have served earlier feel that administrative experience coupled with imparting training will come handy in the changing scenario in the field of education.

Ø  The Joint Review Mission from Human Resource ministry which visited Karnataka was firmly behind the move of retaining CTE in the correct structure.

The need of the hour according to the aggrieved teaching community serving in CTEs is to select competitive and confident aspirants to serve in CTEs. Even central government endorses this view since the beginning and even NCTE feels that the existing structure is viable.

The teaching community is in real dilemma over the move of the state government subsequent to the proposals moved in the budget as to what the future hold for them. They also feel they will be totally detached from the existing work structure which would deprive them of vital inputs at regular intervals and also will affect the quality of secondary education which they feel is paramount.

In a hope to reverse any decision that the government has made with regard to shifting CTE to higher education department, as many as 350 teachers from college of teaching education in Mysuru have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Teachers from the college of education in Belgaum had made a representation to former Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Kimaane Ratnakar before the portfolio was handed over to Tanveer Sait.

For now teacher serving in CTEs are awaiting the next move by the State Government with their fingers crossed!