By Express News Service HYDERABAD: It is back to school for teachers. The HRD minister wants to train over 42 lakh of the country’s teachers on matters such as sexual offences, basic health, leadership skills, use of technology and critical thinking through the National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (dubbed Nishtha). However, the programme doesn’t seem to have impressed the teachers. They say that on one hand the draft National Education Policy 2019 has called present teacher education institutions “corrupt and substandard”. On the other, the government is patting its back for conducting a training programme in these very institutions. “It is ironical that the ministry is going to train 42 lakh teachers in the same ‘corrupt and substandard institutions’” said Nagati Narayana, chairman, Centre for Educational students and Services (CESS). He also flayed the Central government for undermining the power of States, as such a programme should be the prerogative of SCERTs. The government has also been criticised for coming up with new plans in teacher training but not paying heed to strengthen the TTIs. Teachers also want the government to not treat the community as one large homogenous entity. Shobhan Babu who teaches at Kendriya Vidyalaya suggested decentralisation of the process, holding meetings with State-level departments to understand problems at the grassroots level. Others like Sheik Shabbir Ali, president of TS Private Teachers Association lauded the move and said that at the State level, focus should be on implementation.

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