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BRIEF COMMUNICATION

Education System and Teacher Training in India

V.M. Vadivelu*

INTRODUCTION

Education is the basic necessity to any society. According to a Tamil poet, the deeper we dig, the more
we discover. The role of teacher also involves the character building of the taught apart from
designing and implementation of the curriculum. Teachers cause desirable and anticipated revolution
in the society silently. In short, a teacher inspires and shapes the destiny of the nation in class rooms.
Realizing the above facts, the teaching profession is considered as the noblest profession in India.

Educational institutions shape a person’s orientation towards social action and try to overcome the
constraints due to the inequality, poverty and social structure. Being a developing nation, it may be
relevant for Ethiopia to understand the Educational system of other countries. In this context an
attempt has been made to discuss the basics of the educational system and teacher training in India
with special reference to the state of Tamilnadu ( meaning land of Tamils ) located at the southern tip
of the Indian peninsula.

Educational background of Tamilnadu

Tamilnadu has been consistently in the fore front, among the states of India, in the implementation of
educational programs over the years. The over all literacy rate in the state has gone up from 62.7% in
1991 to 73.47% in 2001 which is much more than the national literacy rate. The female average
literacy rate has gone up by more than 13% from 53.33% in 1991 to 64.55% in 2001. The ratio of male
literacy to female literacy has come down from 1.4 in 1991 to 1.27 in 200l, revealing the narrowing
down of gender inequality in the state. The average number of students per primary, upper primary
secondary and higher secondary schools are 119, 327, 398 and 1124 respectively. The teacher pupil
ratio in the above mentioned institutions is 33, 41, 40 and 30. The drop out percentage up to
primary, upper primary, secondary and higher secondary schools is 13.85, 32.10, 57.37 and 75.81
respectively.

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* Jimma University Education Faculty Chemistry Department, Jimma Ethiopia

Vmvadivelu@yahoo.com

** Thoroughly reviewed and edited by a colleague Mr. Surapaneni Rao

Jimma University Education Faculty Physics Department, Jimma Ethiopia

This exploding phenomenal growth either in over all literacy rate or female literacy rate in this state,
no doubt, is a dramatic one which prompts us to go into the successful details of its educational
system, the different cadre of teachers who are responsible for such an astonishing growth and how
they are trained. Further Tamilnadu may be considered as typical and model state reflecting the
Indian scenario regarding educational system, teachers and their training.

Educational system in Tamilnadu

The structure of education in Tamilnadu is based on the national pattern of 10+2+3, (also 10+2+4
and {10+2+Respective professional course duration} patterns does exist) consisting of five years of
primary and three years of upper primary/middle school education for the age groups of 6-11 and
11-14 respectively both put together as primary elementary education, followed by secondary and
higher secondary education of two years duration each. The entry age in standard 1, which is also
called as class or grade, is 5 plus. There are also pre-primary classes for the age group of 3-5.
After secondary or high school education, a student can join higher secondary course or industrial
training institute (ITI) or polytechnic college. The higher secondary school certificate enables the
students to pursue their studies either in universities or colleges for higher education in general
academic stream leading to bachelors’ degree like B.A., B.Sc., B. Com., B.C.A., and B.B.A. (of 3 years
course duration) and technical and professional courses such as B.E., B. Tech., B.D.S, ( of 4 years
course duration) and M.B.B.S., B.P.T., B.L., and E.T.T (elementary teacher training). After graduation,
the student can pursue post-graduation or masters degree course of either two years duration (or)
three years duration. Students can also join the professional courses like B.E.d. or B.L. after under
graduation. On completion of post graduation a student may work for M. Phil. or Ph.D. degree.

Primary school teachers

They are broadly classified into two categories namely nursery or Montessori school teachers and
primary school teachers. The teachers at this level play a very important role in society as they are
largely responsible for molding the young impressionable minds. Theses teachers mainly deal with
children in the age group of 4-10 years. As the child comes out of the protected environment of his
home for the first time and is away from his parents, these teachers are a parent substitute. What a
child learns and experiences during his early school years can shape the child’s view about himself and
the world around him which would later play an important role in his success at school work and also
his personal life making him a good social being. Therefore the nursery and primary school teachers
are responsible for the social, emotional and intellectual growth of children.

Upper primary school teachers