Introduction

The State Council of Education, Research and Training has assumed importance after implementation of the new Education Policy. The Council will work as counterpart of NCERT. Among the multifarious work to be done by the SCERT, formation of District Institute of Education and Training and its management, improvement of syllabus, programming of vocational education and taking up short course training of teachers are important. This organization, in this context, has assumed maximum importance. In view of this, the question of declaring the Director, SCERT as Heads of Department was under active consideration of Government for sometime past.

    • The present Directorate of TE and SCERT has evolved to its present status in different phases.
    • Its started as the State Institute of Education in the year 1964.
    • Was designated as State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in the year 1979.
    • Became Directorate of Teacher Education in the year, 1990.
      • The Teacher Education component under the administrative control of Higher Education i.e. Government Training Colleges were brought under the Directorate of Teacher Education.
      • The School level Teacher Education component i.e. Secondary Training Schools under the Directorate of Secondary Education was brought into the manifold of Directorate of Teacher Education.
Functions of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) :
  • To act as an agent of change in school education, non-formal education and teacher education.
  • To control and supervise the working of the elementary teacher training institutions (Secondary Training Schools and elementary training schools) and to coordinate the work of the teacher training colleges.
  • To arrange inservice training to different categories of teachers, Inspecting Officers and Teacher Educators and to coordinate the work of other agencies operating at the State level.
  • To organize programmes including correspondence-cum-contact courses for professional development of teachers, teacher educators and inspecting officers.
  • To produce curricula, instructional materials, textbooks for the use of educational institutions, teachers of pre-schools and elementary schools.
  • To provide extension service to teacher training institutions at all levels in the state.
  • To coordinate the work of extension service centres of the teacher training institutions in the state.
  • To organize and implement the special educational projects sponsored by UNICEF, NCERT and other agencies for qualitative improvement of school education, teacher education and supervision of education.
  • To prescribe curricula and textbooks for the schools and teacher training centres.
  • To produce instructional materials for the use of teacher educators.
  • To conduct studies and investigations on the various problems of education.
  • To evaluate the adult and non-formal educational programme or any other programme that will be entrusted to it by the DPI or Government.
  • To conduct public examination specially at terminal stages like end of Class III and Class V etc. with a view to controlling quality of education and selecting candidates for scholarships through such examinations.