Dearth of quality teachers for Catholic schools-Herald

Dearth of quality teachers for Catholic schools December 19, 2012 FRANKY GRACIAS PANJIM: Having received a positive assurance from Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over setting up two DEd (Diploma in Education) institutes ~ one each in North and South Goa ~ Catholic primary aided schools are looking forward to recruit well-trained teachers in keeping with their standard of teaching. But first they would wait for the assurance to fructify into a written and official permission to set up the much-required colleges. The proposals for setting up these colleges have been made by Nirmala Institute of Education and Monte de Guirim Educational Society. While the latter has identified a place in Navelim for the college, Nirmala Institute has proposed to run the same from their premises at Altinho in the capital city, where such a course was conducted previously. According to Fr Zeferino D’Souza, Secretary Diocesan Society of Education, each year 30 to 35 primary teachers are recruited, but now it has become difficult to meet this requirement, due to closure of the course some years ago. DSE is the biggest component of the Archdiocesan Board of Education (ABE) as it alone runs 86 institutions, including schools and colleges. There are more than 300 primary aided schools in the State, out of which 130 schools are of Catholic managements. Fr Zeferino says there is a shortage of primary teachers. “We have held interviews three times, but haven’t managed to get quality primary teachers suited to our institutions,” he mentions. Adds Sr Yvette Carvalho, Secretary ABE, “There is only one institute for D Ed training at Porvorim. The reality is these teachers are not appropriately trained to teach as per standards of Catholic schools.” The representation made by Monte de Guirim Educational Society notes that the acute shortage of quality teachers will affect the standard of education in the years to come. The Nirmala Institute of Education, which has been running a B Ed course since 1963, observes there is a need for approximately 750 trained teachers in schools under the umbrella of ABE. The institute conducted a DEd course under the Bombay University from 1963 to 1985 and then under Goa University until 1990, but the Government closed it down and the same is being conducted from the District Institute of Education and Training at Porvorim. It has now impressed upon the Government to restart level sector. http://oheraldo.in/News/Local%20News/Dearth-of-quality-teachers-for-Catholic-schools/68362.html