Duration of B.Ed. Programs in India: An Issue

Abstract

In this era of rapid explosion of knowledge and advancements in the field of technology, quality education is a great concern for all of us today. Of all the factors that influence the quality of education, the quality of teachers is undoubtedly the most significant. In fact no innovation or change in education is going to bring a change in the quality of product unless the teachers are of quality. Nothing is more important than securing a sufficient supply of high quality candidates to the teaching profession and providing them with the best possible professional preparation. “Quality of teachers mainly refers to the teachers’ competency in the subject that he/she deals with, expertise to use methods and techniques of teaching, ability to understand learners’ problems and the teachers attitudinal makeup.” (Pradhan, 2001) The ability and attitude of teachers depend on the teacher education programme that is in operation. In this context pre-service teacher education, which is a major part of Teacher Education, assumes great significance. In pre-service teacher education if we talk of B.Ed. (Bachelor of Education) programmes, its duration is a controversial issue, because its duration is varied from 1,2 or 4 years (4years for integrated B.Ed.) all over India. There is a difference in opinion; with some arguing that course duration of B.Ed. should be of 1 year and others arguing that its duration should be more than 1year. These arguments are mainly based on Cost vs Quality. So, here main questions that arise are: