Bachelor of Elementary Education 1994-2015 Celebrating 21 successful years of the BElEd Faculty of Education University of Delhi
What is BElEd? The Bachelor of Elementary Education (BElEd) Programme is a four-year integrated professional degree programme of Elementary Teacher Education offered after the senior secondary level (class XII or equivalent). This is a bilingual programme, conceptualized by the Maulana Azad Centre for Elementary and Social Education (MACESE) of the Faculty of Education, University of Delhi. Launched in the academic year 1994-95, the programme is an attempt towards fulfilling the need for professionally qualified elementary school teachers. The BElEd Programme is designed to integrate the study of different disciplines to build a comprehensive understanding about education. The programme offers compulsory and optional theory courses, compulsory practicum courses and an intense school internship programme. The BElEd programme is currently being offered in the following eight women colleges of the University of Delhi: Aditi Mahavidyalaya Gargi College Institute of Home Economics Jesus & Mary College Lady Shri Ram College for Women Mata Sundri College Miranda House Shyama Prasad Mukherji College Strengths of the BElEd BElEd interns are able to create a positive atmosphere and develop a good rapport with their school students, track their students' development and are responsive to children. Several Principals and school administrators attribute this sensitivity to the developmental and socio-cultural perspectives that students engage with in the first three years of the programme. Classrooms designed by the BElEd students during internship are of distinctive quality and offer immense scope for learning. BElEd is perhaps the only undergraduate degree of the University of Delhi that is accepted for admission into post-graduate studies in a variety of disciplines. Approximately 30 percent graduates pursue post-graduate studies in a variety of disciplines and research in education thereby contributing to the generation of knowledge in education in the Indian context. Approximately 60-70 percent of graduates are placed in government and private elementary schools as teachers. Some private schools offer BElEd graduates a TGT scale. More recent recruitments based on contractual appointments in schools of the Directorate of Education, Delhi Government offer a consolidated salary of TGT equivalence to BElEd graduate. A quick appraisal of the data gathered using email and social networking sites indicate that a large number qualify the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET). After post graduate studies, several BElEd graduates have found opportunities to teach in Departments of Elementary Education in the colleges of the University of Delhi; District Institutes of Educational Research and Training (DIETs) and private institutions offering teacher education programmes. Currently, all the eight colleges offering the BElEd and the Central Institute of Education have at least one faculty member who is a BElEd graduate. Due to this programme, a new and creative person takes birth Other courses give knowledge, but this course makes a fully-functional person I can feel the change in me, in my life, and in my attitudes towards life. 1
Career Options Some of the professional and academic opportunities available for BElEd graduates are: Teaching in elementary schools (Classes I to VIII): BElEd graduates are eligible for recruitment as teachers in MCD/ NDMC/Sarvodaya Vidyalayas in Delhi as well as in Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas across India, and in private schools. Leading the elementary school systems in various capacities. Teaching and research in elementary education in government and nongovernment sectors. Post-graduate and research studies in education and allied disciplines. Serving as teacher-educators in various State Institutes and University Departments/Colleges offering preservice education in elementary and secondary education. 2
Programme Outline 3 *Options will be offered as per the availability in respective colleges. Grand Total 2200
Courses of Study: Experiences and Opportunities The four years of the BElEd programme has a predominant focus on what and how to teach and through this, students develop a critical perspective about various curriculum and pedagogy related issues. Alumni recall how Self- Development workshops and the Human Relations and Communication course and Theatre workshops have helped them develop confidence in themselves and the desire to make a difference. One of the main objectives of the Core courses in the BElEd is that students revisit their understanding of subject content, examine their misconceptions about various concepts and then work to arrive at a scientifically correct understanding. This opportunity helps them realise that misconceptions are often deep rooted and need to be addressed in the classroom. During school internship, students not only identify their own misconceptions of concepts but also explore school children's alternate conceptions and learn to explore children's ideas in science, social science and mathematics. The pedagogy courses, for instance, environmental studies, help students to understand concepts in an integrated perspective - scientific, historical, and socio-political. This integrated understanding is reflected during teaching, which school children find very engaging. The classrooms designed by BElEd interns offer scope for discussion and hands-on experience, a process they have undergone themselves as student-teachers. Specific experiences gained through individual courses help in forging meaningful linkages during school internship. For instance, concepts engaged through the course 'Language across the Curriculum' are widely used by the interns in IV year include teaching other subjects as well. Techniques of KWL, Marginal Gloss, Advance Organizers, Schema Activation, Concept mapping form an integral part of social science plans as well. The understanding of 'Content Area Reading' techniques enable students of 'Pedagogy of Social Science' to design teaching plans and activities that are developmentally appropriate. Contemporary India is of importance in the first year as students are introduced to a critical perspective on political, economic and social issues in the early stages of preparing to be a teacher. This course provides a rigorous frame within which they understand school education. The course on Gender and Schooling provides students a new perspective of looking at issues of gender within and outside formal schooling. The strength of the BElEd programme lies in the multi-disciplinary nature of the faculty as well. Qualified in various disciplines, with the social sciences, the faculty provides for a robust engagement with issues of contemporary concern and relevance. The course of Child Development has taught us to see things around us using the lens of reasoning behind a variety of behaviors. BElEd is transforming us into not just teachers but, 'sensitive teachers' who know the psyche of their students and find greater avenues to break the conventional ways of teaching and learning with support from the theories we learn. 4
Life of a BElEd Student During the four years BElEd students not only study different subjects, but are also engaged in the study of various disciplines and variety of academic enrichment activities. These include workshops, seminars, talks, visits to different sites and much more. Selfdevelopment and theatre workshops help students to grow and evolve as individuals and as teachers. Group presentations in classrooms and interaction with leading scholars from different institutions provide an inter disciplinary and intellectually stimulating ambience. These opportunities help students to critically examine theoretical frameworks, examine their own positions in society and develop new perspectives. The section below provides a glimpse of the life of a BElEd student... Visits to Alternative Schools Students in the third year of the programme visit alternative schools and centers of innovation. These visits aim to provide exposure to creative, innovative and alternative teaching practices within India. Seminars and Workshops Seminars and workshops are an integral part of the BElEd programme. During the four years, students dialogue with leading educationists, academics, thinkers and scholars from India and abroad, thereby building critical perspectives on several aspects of education. BElEd has made me more empathetic by providing me insight into the lives of diverse people, belonging to various sections of society. It has made me extremely conscious of my thought process and action. 5
Creative Classrooms The four year programme provides a balanced mix of theory and practice, as students engage with schools and children throughout the programme. In the final year of the programme, students engage in creative teaching-learning processes as part of school internship. The school internship enables them to understand the school as a system and a social institution, students as learners with multiple identities and different pedagogic approaches. Theatre and Craft Theatre and craft are integral to part I and III of the BElEd curriculum. These practicum enable students to understand how theatre and craft can be used as effective pedagogic tools within the classrooms. Theatre also facilitates an integrated development of student-teacher as a person and a performer. Click on the image above to see students' work During the theatre and self development workshops, we talked and discussed about different issues like illiteracy, sexual harassment, challenges faced by people of different castes and religions. In the class we shared different experiences, different perspectives that served as a platform for me to think critically about these issues. 6
Self- Development Workshops The self-development workshops have been conceptualised to facilitate studentteachers development as a person. The workshops aim to cover broad areas of awareness: their own strengths and limitations, developing sensitivity, empathy, open mindedness, and positive attitudes. It further seeks to develop the ability to communicate and relate with children and adults, alongside developing one's vision as a teacher and as a person. BElEd program has given us an opportunity to explore the many facets of reality around us. Through varied activities, visits and workshops like craft, theatre, storytelling and self development. It has helped us to develop our whole self, not just our intellect. Self development workshop gave me an opportunity to become a better educator by helping me to reflect on myself and enabling me to work efficiently with a team. Moreover, it boosted my confidence while developing my whole personality. Physical Education This component is offered in the II year of the programme. It provides opportunities for sports and fitness activities. BElEd students understand the significance of physical fitness and bodily-awareness. As futureteachers, they enable their students to develop an attitude for leading a healthy lifestyle and explore issues of school health and children's emotional health as well. Academic Enrichment Seminars, workshops, discussions, talks and heritage walks inhabit an integral space in the BElEd programme. Heritage walks, for example, allow students to explore different sites which help them to enrich their own understanding of issues of socio-cultural, historical and ecological relevance 7
Initiatives by Departments of Elementary Education Across Colleges Newsletter of Aditi Mahavidyalaya Click below to view the newsletter The BElEd provides us a host of opportunities including creative activities, innovative and interesting learning environment... We learn and discuss those issues which are common to everyone's daily life, such as inequality, gender discrimination etc. It provides us a framework with which we can think and see things critically and develop our own understanding about several issues. Newsletter of Lady Shri Ram College for Women Click below to view the newsletter BElEd g i v e s e v e r y individual their space; their opinions and views are respected. This programme gives us the opportunity to criticize concepts and practices of society. 8
Media Reports Teacher training: A higher standard B. El. Ed. students at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi. Started in 1994/95, the course has become a benchmark for teacher training progammes in India. Photo: Aditya Kapoor/www.indiatodayimages.com In March 2012, the results of a test conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) showed that only seven per cent of the 7.85 lakh examinees had passed. The result was worse than the performance in the test a year before when nine per cent cleared the examination. And who were the people taking the test? Not school students but teachers aspiring for jobs in government schools. The CBSE-conducted Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET), instituted in 2011, is mandatory under the Right to Education Act for teachers if they want to apply for jobs in central or state government schools, the Kendriya Vidyalayas, and the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. There are more than 16,000 teacher education institutes in India churning about 1.1 million new teachers every year. These institutes provide either a Diploma or a Bachelor's degree in Education (B.Ed.). But the results of CTET tests are evidence enough that the quality of teacher training is far from satisfactory. Why is the state of affairs so dismal? "There's a general perception that many teacher training programmes are bogus and run by corrupt institutions," says Padma Sarangapani, Professor of Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. "Recruiters feel that B.Ed. candidates are no better than non-b.ed ones." Is there any institute that stands out? "Except BElEd, there's hardly any course that fulfils the demands of teacher education," says Sarangapani referring to Delhi University's four-year Bachelor of Elementary Education programme Launched in 1994-95, the Bachelor of Elementary Education programme has become a benchmark for teacher training programmes. Currently, eight DU colleges offer it. These colleges have a dozen faculty members each for the programme and a total of 400 seats, indicating a healthy teacher-student ratio. The programme has a healthy mix of practical sessions and theory, and also teaches behavioural sciences. Over a four-year-long programme, the prospective teachers acquire a wide repertoire skills such as in dramatics, different crafts, classroom management, documentation, and evaluation. Almost 60 per cent of the course content consists of field activities. For example, in the final year, students go through four months of internship at a school. Poonam Batra, Professor of Education at the Central Institute of Education, Delhi University says there is little difference in the methods taught to B.Ed. students for teaching different subjects. "BElEd students get the opportunity to study the subject matter and enquire into it to develop appropriate pedagogic approaches," she says. Sarangapani agrees that the dominant teaching models are outdated. "BElEd has a contemporary approach to teaching. The entire course is developed indigenously, which makes it easy for students to understand and relate with," she says. Its students endorse her view. Ashtami Rajan, a 2011 graduate who now teaches at the Delhi Public School in Ghaziabad, says BElEd students are not required to mug up facts or theories developed by educationists. "Students develop their own perspectives on education," she says. That, perhaps, is the need of the hour. 9 (Retrieved from: http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/delhi-university-b.-el.-edprogramme/1/190795.html)
BElEd 1994-2015 Creating Quality Elementary School Teachers and Building Leaders in Education Faculty of Education University of Delhi