Govt institutes national award for teacher educators

The nation, which so far honoured only its best teachers, will now also acknowledge the ones who make them.

The Union government has instituted a new award to recognize “exceptional work” of teacher educators at the national level from this year.

A total of 20 teacher educators will be selected for the national award this year. Each of the award will carry Rs 25000 and a citation.

The national council for teacher education (NCTE), an arm of the human resource development (HRD) ministry and teacher education regulator, on Friday opened online nomination of the candidates for “The Best Teacher Educator Award-2019.”

Teacher educators with 10-years of teaching experience in regular service at a recognised teacher education institute. The maximum age limit of the nominees for the award has been fixed at 55 as on September 5, 2019.

“Teacher educators themselves shall apply directly by filling up the application form online through the NCTE web portal along with documentary proof of their work before the prescribed cut-off date. The candidature should be forwarded by the principal/director/head of department/dean/registrar of the teacher education institutes,” the award guidelines stipulates.

The online nominations for the national award at the NCTE website will close on August 16.

Teacher educators are required to cite “at least two” innovative or experimental teaching practices, which have had “proven impact” on the teaching learning process, in order to be considered for the national award.

Recommendation of two educationists or academicians with documentary proof is “mandatory.”

“If anything is found at any later date to be untrue, he/she will be liable to disciplinary action,” the council said, cautioning the applicants against submitting any false claim.

The final list of the awardees will be prepared by the NCTE based on the recommendation of the selection committee comprising eminent educationists.

The committee will prepare list of the awardees from the entries to be received through an IT (information technology)-enabled “transparent system.”

“The purpose of the national level award to the teacher educator is to recognize outstanding contribution of the best teacher educators in the country. Due consideration shall be given to women teacher educators as well as falling under the category of scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, other backward class and differently abled,” the council said.

The awards will be presented to the best 20 teacher educators at a national level function date of which will be announced soon.