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This article throws light upon the top three agencies formulated for improving secondary education in India. The agencies are: 1. National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) 2. National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) 3. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Improving Secondary Education: Agency # 1.
National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA):
The National institute of educational planning and Administration, an autonomous body in the field of educational planning and administration has been set up by the Government of India in May, 1979. This institute contributed a lot to India and abroad in the field of educational planning and administration.
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It plays a significant role in training educational Planners and administrators. It covers a number of educational officers like state education officers. Principals of schools and colleges, Directors of education, District Education officers, University vice chancellors and Heads of Departments etc.
Functions of NIEPA:
The important functions of NIEPA are as follows:
(i) To organize training programmes for educational officers for improving skills of educational planning and administration.
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(ii) To encourage research activities in the field of educational planning and administration in the country.
(iii) It takes necessary steps to organize discussion programmes on educational problems and issues in the country.
(iv) To disseminate information in the field of innovations in educational planning and administration.
(v) To render consultancy services with regard to educational planning and administration to central and state government, different international organizations, school boards and other similar institutions.
Areas of activities:
The areas of activities of NIEPA are as follows:
(i) Training of Educational Planners and Administrators. Under this activity NIEPA Provides training programme for the Indians as well as the foreigners connected with educational planning and administration. It also organizes diploma courses in educational planning and administration for in-service district education officers.
(ii) Research work- NIEPA undertakes some research activities in order to provide guidelines for the policy makers, planners and educational administrators.
(iii) The NIEPA organizes innovative programs for the diffusion of knowledge on interstate basis.
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(iv) The NIEPA Provides consultancy service to different states of India to reorganize the department of education in modern outlook.
(v) The NIEPA publishes a number of journals, research papers, periodicals etc. in the field of educational planning and administration.
(vi) It has also some collaborative activities with the important national organizations like UGC, NCERT, CSIR, ICSSR, CBSE etc.
The NIEPA has also connection with some international organizations. It organizes a large number of seminars, workshops and training programs for the qualitative improvement of education in different levels.
Improving Secondary Education: Agency # 2.
National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE):
The National Council Teacher Education (NCTE) was set up in 1973 as an autonomous body situated at New Delhi. The Director of NCERT acts as the organizing Secretary of NCTE and the union education minister acts as the chairman of NCTE.
One from each state education. Department are appointed as the members of the council. Besides this, twelve members are nominated from among the eminent scholars in different fields and one important person from each organization like UGC, AICIE, CBSE, planning commission and NCERT are the members of the council.
Now the total member of the councils is 42 the main function of this council is to provide guidance to the teachers and to solve some problems relating to teacher education in the centre as well as in the state. Its main objective is to bring some improvement in teacher education programme.
The following are some of the important roles of NCTE.
i. To provide information about the status of teacher education to the central government.
ii. To provide data about the planning and progress of teacher education to the state government.
iii. To analyze the progress of teacher education programme both in centre and state level planning.
iv. To undertake promote and co-ordinate research in all branches of teacher education.
v. To prepare different plans for the progress of teacher education.
vi. To supervise the teacher education programme and allocate some funds for organization.
vii. To prepare some guidelines for teacher education curriculum.
viii. To prepare some instructional materials required by teacher or teacher educator.
Besides the above functions the NCTE also prepares a criteria for appointment of teacher educations in different teacher training institutions and provides the norms for appointment to the stale government. The council provides research facilities for the teacher educators in different fields of teacher education.
In order to make the teacher education programme more effective, the NPE, 1986 and the Programme to Action of the NPE-1986 stressed the role of distance education in teacher education.
The NCTE examined and re-examined the issue concerning with standard of teacher education programmes especially those offered through distance mode. The council takes some exemplary steps for the improvement of teacher raining institutions in order to promote a relevant. Flexible and innovative system of education specially at secondary level.
Improving Secondary Education: Agency # 3.
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE):
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) was established on 1st July, 1962 by the Central Government at New Delhi. Though it is an autonomous body still it is under the fully control of central Government.
It aims at developing the quality of secondary education and fulfills the minimum requirements of the learners at the secondary stage. It gives stress on curriculum, text books, methods of teaching and evaluation procedure of secondary education in order to bring qualitative improvement of education at secondary stage.
The important functions of CBSE are as follows:
i. It conducts the secondary and higher secondary examinations at all India level.
ii. It conduct the secondary and higher secondary examinations of union territories.
iii. It conducts the examinations of secondary schools which arc affiliated to CBSE only.
iv. It organized orientation course for the teachers of secondary schools those are affiliated to CBSE.
v. It provides guidelines for CBSE affiliated institutions.
vi. It prepares curriculum and text books for CBSE pattern schools.
vii. It prepares instructional materials required by teachers and students.
viii. It disseminates improved techniques and practices through orientation courses for teachers.
ix. The CBSE provides affiliation to English medium schools.
x. It also supplies certificates to the pass out students after secondary and high secondary examination.