In News

• The Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) released its second edition of the State of Teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education Report for India (SOTTTER).

Major findings

• Sub-standard qualifications-  According to the report, while 90% of teachers hold some kind of professional certification, only 46% of primary school teachers were found to possess the necessary professional certification — the Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed), specifically designed for teachers wishing to teach in primary or upper primary schools.
• Only 32% with D.El.Ed qualifications passed the TET, reflecting a low overall quality of these educators. A tiny portion of TET-qualified teachers — about 15% — scored higher than 60% in the primary teachers’ qualification exam.
• There also appears to be a low level of subject knowledge in mathematics among primary teachers — in TET, mean scores in the mathematics component were as low as 46%.
• At the same time, the report also showed low levels of competency in regional language among primary school teachers.

Private sector’s pros and cons  -  In many states, the private sector employs 40% or more of the teaching workforce.

• While these schools typically have better facilities (like libraries, computer labs and internet access — 76% in private schools vs only 38% in government schools) and greater support from clerical and non-teaching personnel than government schools, the pay and working conditions are appalling.

Working without contract - Poor employment terms in the private sector, alongside irregular recruitment in the government sector affect the attractiveness of the teaching profession, the report observed.

• According to the PLFS 2021-22, quoted in the report, more than 50% of teachers in private or non-government schools said that they are working without written contracts.
• This percentage is higher among younger female teachers in both the private and government sector, particularly in early childhood care and education (ECCE). A large proportion of women — 50% in primary and 64% in secondary schools — in the private sector work without written contracts.
• Without legally binding work agreements, these teachers receive the lowest salaries in both the private and government sector — often less than half of what a teacher with a contract of three years.

More women than men in teaching  -  The report findings show that the teaching workforce is skewed towards older teachers in government schools, and towards younger teachers in private schools. The data show a difference of 6 to 8 years, in terms of average age, indicating that post-qualification, most teachers enter a private school job, shifting later to government schools, as and when recruitments are announced, and possibly after repeated attempts.

• The  median age of women in teaching is three to four years less than men — pointing towards a trend that more young women rather than men are entering the profession.
• This growing trend of feminisation of the workforce can also be seen in the fact that 62% secondary school teachers, and 73% primary school teachers in the age group of 20-24 are women.
• There are more male than female teachers only in the older age group of 45 years old and more. 

Abysmal student-teacher ratio and other teacher concerns - The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, (2009) mandates a student-teacher ratio at the school level of 30:1 for Classes 1 to 5, and 35:1 for Classes 6 to 8.

• This is to provide each student with relevant and necessary pedagogical engagement and attention.
• The report said that almost 38% of government school teachers taught different divisions and grades, simultaneously, and in the same classroom. Beyond such abysmal student-teacher ratios, government schools’ teachers also had to deal with declining student attendance, more so than in private schools.
• While the average periods per week taught by government and private school teachers was almost the same (28 for private, 27 for government), the latter reported having an average of seven substitution periods per week, in comparison to an average of 5 for private school teachers.
• The everyday workload in government school teachers includes maintaining data, helping with mid-day meals, among other responsibilities. Government schools also reported a high proportion (41%) of unsupportive parents.

Source- Indian Express