TEI: Suggestions on
Re-structuring DIETs
Presentation to States on Dec 15, 2012
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Current issues
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Vision
function
meta-structure
infrastructure, personnel,
activities, internal
organisational structure
What role does the State
Education Department want
DIETs to play?
Pink book vision:
Powerhouse at District level
for devolution of academic
support to elementary
education:
Teacher education
School improvement through
inset
Curriculum innovation and
district specific curriculum,
materials, etc.
All key educational work only at
State level. District merely an
administrative unit.
No vision for Elementary
Education at eithe State or District
level.
Inadequate appropriate human
resource capacity (Bed/Med all
secondary education )
On the whole lacking reform
mandate
Pink book
Pre service teacher
education—Ded
IFIC
DRU
WE
Important function, especially in states
where there were not engough Ded
colleges/ programmes. Only part off
DIET that functions.
Virtually no textbook or curriculum work
at the district level. Suboptimal staff
strength.
Not required after establishment of the
DRCs
Lacking clear purpose or
capability/curriculum vision
Pink book
ET
Not clear why a separate wing.
Lab Area
Never took off
Structure—
academic
Rigid and inefficient and meaningless
way of organising faculty.
No opportunities for Elementary
Education Faculty to develop relevant
expertise.
Inadequate administrative support for
huge task of inservice teacher
education organisation.
With SCERT only administrative.
BRC-CRCs non existent.
Weak with reference to Admin structure
Administrative
Linkages
District Positioning
Wanted a change
Pink book out
A lot has
changed !!
NLM
DPEP ,
elementary
education
reform BRCCRCs
SSA
NCF2005
NCFTE
RMSA
RtE
Green book in: ecological model.
Integrated into the States vision for education and
role for an academic institution at the District.
What are the key academic tasks that are required at
the District level today?
1. Overview and overall vision and support for schools
academic strengthening
2. Support to Block institutions to support schools
3. Academic planning for the District
4. Targetted programmes for children of vulnerable
groups.
5. Development of MRPs in various aspects of school
curriculum and school requirements.
6. Teacher Professional Development PSTE/INSET-7. Oversight of RtE etc.
Need of the hour:
institutional character
• The Institution must emerge as an autonomous Institution, with EACH DIET
defining and evolving its particular institutional character. The DIET must cease
to function as the district arm of the DSERT.
• 2. By focusing on and developing a core identity around either Teacher
Professional Development or School Improvement, the Institution can
acquire overall direction.
• Adequate infrastructure befitting a key District level institution as well as
finances to carry out a variety of activities are also an imperative for Institutional
recovery.
• 4. Breaking out of the current insularity by more vibrant involvement with NGOs
and institutes of higher education through various collaborations is imperative.
• 5. The appointment of the Principal of the DIET MUST be through selection
only and s/he must have a minimum tenure of 3-years in the Institute.
Financial and personnel
• Timely and adequate release of funds is of crucial importance to
DIET functioning.
• While encadrement can assure dedicated academic personnel, it
would still not completely solve the problems created by transfers and
also by lack of expertise and insularity. Open-selection and
movement between institutions through open selections would
enhance institutional affiliations and identity.
• Rather than deficit approach to capacity building—proactive
professional upgradation through advanced courses at universities.
NOT ORIENTATION
• Can have visiting and other types of faculty including 3 year
fellowships for teachers
Key focus areas:
• (a) District specificity and orientation in their overall activities:
in particular in areas such as district specific material
development, research and action-reseach programmes for
special groups in the District.
• (b) Linkages and Support to teacher professional
development—secondary, elementary & preschool
• (c) Linkages and methods of academically monitoring and
supervising school improvement/school development.
• (d) Serving as a Education Resource Centre.
Approaches to school improvement
Four core areas
School Functioning
Academic Work
Equity
Community
2 broad directions for DIET
Administering Academic Work:
Performing academic work:
Without inherent academic capacity, by virtue of having academic
but empowered to ‘resource’
personnel, with administrative
academic personnel to carry out
support.
various academic tasks
Staffed with administration
persons. We will not then have
academic expectations from this
institution.
Will require upward & downward
linkages
Need appropriate human
resources—faculty with academic
specialisations and adequate
administrative support for
academic work. We will not load
the institution with administrative
tasks.
Will require upward & down ward
linkages
Approach A: plan, manage district
academic needs through teacher
devpt
Regular monitoring of BRCs, CRCs and
schools
Outsources expertise needed for INSET
programs
Consolidates data relating to school quality
and provide feedback to BRC, CRCs
Runs a Resource Center
DIET faculty to act as block support
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Approach B: In-house expertise to
guide school quality and teacher ed
Expertise constitutes knowledge and
understanding of subjects, pedagogy and
research/documentation/analysis.
Develops training programs and supports MRPs
Monitors school quality through visits and
research
Runs resource centers
DIET faculty support the blocks
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Faculty profiles
Working groups
Where can the linkage with the University be
established?
• Capacity building: short term and long term courses for
faculty in specialisation areas: child development, foundations
of education, pedagogy of mathematics, etc. school
leadership, policy studies, gender and education, etc.
• Open academic discussion forum
• Renewal of teacher education curriculum PSTE& INSET
• Joint action research programmes and material development
• Faculty exchange: DIET visiting faculty positions in university
and vice-versa
Thank you
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