Kathmandu: Tribhuvan University, in co-ordination with National Centre for Educational Development (NCED), is going to offer three-year MEd course and five-year BEd course to school teachers through distance mode.

Prof Hari Maharjan, assistant dean of faculty of education, said they signed an agreement with NCED recently to enhance the qualification of school teachers after the implementation of School Sector Reform Plan (SSRP).

SSRP, a six-year plan of government to reform education sector, has categorised school education into two levels — Grade I to VIII basic/primary level and Grade IX to XII as secondary level.

Before the implementation of SSRP, Bachelor degree holding teachers were eligible to teach children of secondary level, which was Grade IX-X. But after Grade XI and XII were merged as secondary level, the teachers needed Master’s degree to teach them.

Prof Maharjan said, “This three-year MEd course will not only make teachers eligible to teach children in the secondary level, but also make them eligible to compete for the post of principal.

After the TU phased out Proficiency Certificate Level and Higher Secondary Education Board needed to have more Plus Two colleges, they were having difficulties due to lack of qualified school teachers.

He stated that they were currently planning to train 15,000 BEd-pass teachers in the first phase. “This is a six-semester course with 63 credit hours,” he added.

The TU had formed a six-member panel to decide on the course design and structure. “As soon as the committee finalises the course, it would be launched,” Prof Maharjan said.

According to NCED, 62,150 primary level (Grade I-VIII) teachers and 12,358 secondary level (Grade IX-XII) teachers are needed to be trained immediately.

source: The Himalayan Times, 10 Oct 2011