State Institute of Education (SIEs) was established in mid-60s for qualitative improvement of elementary education. Their functions envisaged organisation of in-service training programmes for teachers and supervisory personnel, conduct of conferences and seminars for senior officers (district level and above) of Education Department. In 1973, the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare recommended the merger of all such units/institutions and agencies in the State Education Department into a single organisation named State Council of Educational Research and Training.

The National Policy on Education 1986 and 1992 further recommended the strengthening of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in each State as a measure of decentralization of functions of quality education, research and training. Therefore, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Teacher Education was launched in 1987 by the Govt. of India to create a sound institutional infrastructure for pre-service and in-service training of teachers and for academic resource support to elementary and secondary schools.

Again, during Xth five-year plan, the scheme was revised for the first time and then in 2012 was named as Guidelines for Implementation of ‘Re-structuring and Re-organisation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Teacher Education’.

At present, there are 31 SCERTs and One SIE (Andaman & Nicobar Island) in the country. The Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Ladakh, Lakshadweep and Puducherry do not have either SCERT or SIE. The functions related to SCERTs in these union territories are performed by State Departments of Education/DIETs.

The District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) were envisioned in the National Policy on Education, 1986, and were created by the Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development (presently, Ministry of Education) in the early 1990s. It aimed to strengthen elementary education and support the decentralization of education to the district level. The Right to Education (RTE) directs the state to address the need to invest in quality schools- through adequate and child friendly infrastructure, curriculum and school practices.

The RTE mandates qualified teachers who are able to engage in providing education which supports the development of all children. DIETs are being involved in many in-service and pre-service teacher education programmes along with supporting Schools, CRCs and BRCs in implementation of state level as well as national level initiatives.

DIETs were conceived as the third district level- tier to support the system which would be closer to the field, and therefore more alive to its problems and needs. The core institutional focus of a DIET was Continuous Professional Development of teacher and head teachers, which would directly/indirectly impact on school improvement programmes.

1.1 Roles & Functions of SCERT & DIETs:

The role of SCERTs as a state resource institution has expanded to provide academic support at all stages of education, undertake co-ordination of all academic matters relating to school education, maintain appropriate linkages with other educational organizations and provide supervision/support to the district and sub-district level institutions.

The SCERTs are also supposed to contribute to the development of curriculum, instructional material, and textbooks, conduct research programmes, provide guidance and support to state department of education and provide supplementary materials to address the need of all children including children with Special Needs (CwSN) and teachers.

Further, SCERTs are also expected to perform a variety of roles for the national level institutions such as NCERT, NIEPA and NCTE, in the conduct of state level studies and surveys as well as take the lead in some major national Initiatives such as Digital Drive, Skill India and Clean India, and other in collaboration with state level institutions/organizations working in the area.

With the implementation of the NEP-2020, the role of the SCERT has increased manifold. With the development of the National Curriculum Frameworks for ECCE, SE, TE and AE by the NCERT, SCERTs will setup Syllabus and Textbook Development Teams to work on ensuring the contextualization according to local or State level needs and reduction of Curriculum content in each subject to its core essentials, to make space for critical thinking and more holistic, discovery-based, discussion-based, and analysis-based learning.

1.2 Other key tasks of the SCERT as the academic authority in the State/UT include:

Development of Online and blended teachers training platforms and modules/teaching-learning materials; development of e-content resources for all grades on DIKSHA; Strategic planning and implementation of reinvigoration of BRCs, CRCs and DIETs; Translation of textbooks in home language/mother tongue & NISHTHA modules in local languages for alternate forms of schools, etc.

1.3 Expected Outcome of the session:

Understanding the issues and suggesting /action points for SCERTs and DIETs to take up new roles in light of NEP-2020. Suggests ways to empower SCERT/DIETs to perform instrumental role for providing quality school and teacher education. To empower academic, functional, administrative and financial aspects of linkages among all levels of institutions from local level to state level and to national level. Suggest ways to build capacity to develop curriculum, syllabus, textbook, learning-teaching materials, resource books, worksheets etc. in digital or print form. Make them competent to conduct research/survey/action research/case studies/dipstick survey/achievement survey etc. at State level and District level. Devising ways to organise effective CPD programmes though face-to-face, online or blended mode at State level and District level. Gear up to support implementation of vocational education, adult education, ICT education, Inclusive education and other emerging concerns in NEP-2020.

1.4 Roadmap for SCERTs & DIETs:

In light of NEP-2020, the SCERTs and DIETs have to spearhead the States/UTs in providing quality education, for this, DIETs must change the capacity and work culture of these institutions in 3 years, developing them into vibrant institutions of excellence. Meanwhile, certification of competencies of students at the school-leaving stage will be handled by the Boards of Assessment/Examination in each State.

DIETs may integrate both formal and informal agency of elementary education so as to ascertain and ensure equal level or standard. DIETs may also coordinate its functions with the functions of other district level departments who have active role for the cause of elementary education in terms of monitoring.

The SCERT being the academic authority is ultimately responsible for ensuring that quality at all levels of school education is provided in an equitable and inclusive manner. In order to ensure this, SCERT should proactively take the responsibility for setting up the benchmarks for quality educational outcomes across all levels, based on the findings of national and international research studies on quality improvement.

They should also be equipped and alert in making changes in these benchmarks from time to time as required. NEP-2020 envisaged the SCERTs need to lead a “change management process”.

SCERTs need to work under the Department of School Education and have a common nomenclature. SCERTs need to function as Autonomous Institutions. They need to visualise their role under RTE Act and recognised as a Nodal Agency for In-service Teacher Education and other Quality Initiatives in the States.

The National Education Policy, NEP-2020 has recommended many structural and curricular changes to improve quality of teacher education. It has emphasized in-service continuous professional development for teachers along with the continuing initiatives. NEP-2020 also highlighted the importance of institutions such as SCERTs and DIETs in the implementation of these recommendations at state and district levels.

The SCERTs need to drive equity interventions in the state working towards building social equity across all facets of education, specifically in textbooks, training design and implementation, and implicit educational practices within the classroom and school in more focused way.

Community and Children’s outreach program and network keeps the SCERTs rooted to the experience and issues at the ground level. SCERTs (and DIETs) should have a system for more frequent interactions with the children in place.

The SCERT should be the nodal agency in the state and establish proper coordination and collaboration with various statutory bodies like Board of Textbooks, Board of Secondary Education and Board of Elementary Education. The SCERT as the academic authority has the responsibility of developing learning outcomes, appropriate teaching-learning materials, and modules for teacher preparation, etc.

NEP-2020 emphasizes upon providing-vocational exposure to all children from class 6 to 8 by integrating it in the curriculum. In this context, NEP-2020 also recommends bag less days and internships. In view of building capacity of the schools to smoothly implement these recommendations of the policy, SCERT has to play an important role.

To strengthen the SCERTs and DIETs in terms Infrastructure, Competent faculty with supporting Staff with UGC pay scale, functional digital (ICT) infrastructure, adequate funds, autonomy for decision making and utilization for resources towards quality school and teacher education are imperative.

DIET may take steps reorganize its staff around the core functions in alignment with the recommendations of NEP-2020.

In order to change the existing work culture of the DIETs, the following steps may be taken to improve the organizational climate:

• Technology may be leveraged to ensure transparency and accountability in functioning of DIETs.
• Providing of input for tracking of every Child through Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK).
• Monitoring Learning Outcomes (LOs) at the BRC/CRC and School level.
• Capacity Building and Mentoring of Teachers through convergence with Higher Education Institutions.
• Focused plan on overall role and stepwise implementation plan to ensure better functioning.
• Creating interactive digital platforms for better interaction, sharing best practices and devising new strategies for improvement.
• Benchmarking of DIETs through a performance Grading Index (PGI) for ranking of DIETs to ensure quality assurance.
• Devising new strategies for forging better linkages with SCERTs, BRCs and Community in order to develop strong synergy.
• Providing Resource Support to Non-Formal Education Sector by extending DIET expertise in developing curriculum and supplementary Learning Materials to adult learners.

Designing and developing of trainer manuals for Anganwadi workers and for addressing Social concerns such as Crisis and Disaster Management, Gender Sensitivity, Leadership Manual for School Heads etc. Facilitating Collaborative Action Researches to enable practising teachers to address class room issues.

1.5 Best practices:

a) In Amreli DIET, Toy Inclusive Education Training

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his views in the 98th “Mann ki Baat” on indigenous toys. By taking inspiration from his vision, the faculties of the DIET of Amreli conducted the ‘Toy Inclusive Education Training’ through which students learn the concepts of different subjects. This gives them opportunities to practice social skills like communication. It also helps them understand emotions—both their own and others. Toys help children in holistic development of children including cognitive, physical, socio-emotional, and language development.

b) In Korba DIET, Student Participation in Soap Bank

Minimata Saheli Bank has been operating since 2019. Minimata Saheli Bank has been established in the school with community participation. The main purpose of this is to arrange sanitary pads, soaps through the amount of this bank, this helps poor girl students and those girl students who have been dropouts to bring them to the mainstream of education, and provide support in the construction of the Saheli Room for girls in secondary schools. Anyone from community can voluntarily donate money to Minimata Saheli Bank.

c) In Pendra DIET, Pot making activity

The students of this DIET have taken up Pot making activity. Engaging in the art of pot making offers students a profound and transformative learning experience. This hands-on activity goes beyond the surface of creating beautiful clay pots and delves into the heart of Indian culture, heritage, and craftsmanship. By partaking in this traditional craft, students can gain invaluable insights and skills that extend far beyond the realm of pottery. Firstly, the process of pot making instills a deep sense of patience and focus in students. As they mould and shape the clay with their own hands, they learn to embrace the concept of delayed gratification, understanding that masterpieces are not created overnight. The ability to concentrate on the intricate details of each pot fosters mindfulness and cultivates a meditative state of mind, enhancing their overall mental well-being. Furthermore, engaging in this time-honoured craft enables students to connect with the rich history of India.

1.6 Conclusion:

Empowering institutions and strengthening academic linkages through the State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) and District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) is a pivotal strategy in fostering a robust educational ecosystem. SCERTs serve as apex bodies at the state level, responsible for curriculum development, teacher training, and educational research. By equipping these institutions with adequate resources, cutting-edge technologies, and expert faculty, we can enhance their capacity to design innovative and relevant curricula tailored to the needs of diverse learners. Simultaneously, bolstering the collaboration between SCERTs and DIETs, play a crucial role at the district level and creates a seamless flow of knowledge and expertise. Such synergies enable DIETs to implement state-of-the-art teaching methodologies and effectively disseminate the latest pedagogical practices to grassroots-level educators. This collaborative approach ensures that the education system remains adaptive, inclusive, and at the forefront of educational advancements, ultimately empowering students and educators alike to thrive in an ever-evolving world.