Databank of Teachers

According to the Statistics of School Education (2009-10), the total number of teachers in the country from pre-primary to senior secondary is 67.23 lakh. To meet the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) norms specified under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, the Government has sanctioned 8.17 lakh additional teachers posts between 2010 and 2012 under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)

The Government has taken several steps for preparing and providing quality teachers. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Teacher Education for the XII Plan envisages establishment of District Institutes of Education and Training in all districts created upto March, 2011 and of Block Institutes of Teacher Education for expanding capacity of teacher preparation. The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) grants recognition to institutions for starting programmes of teacher education. Several State Governments have also taken steps to expand teacher preparation capacity. In pursuance of the RTE Act, the NCTE has laid down the minimum teacher qualifications, including the requirement of passing the Teacher Eligibility Test as an essential qualification for being eligible for appointment as a teacher. Under the Sarva Shisksha Abhiyan, financial assistance is provided to the State Governments to enable the teachers of class I-VIII not possessing the minimum qualifications to acquire the same by 2015, and for training of in-service teachers for improving quality.

This information was given by Dr. D. Purandeswari, Minister of State for Human Resource Development in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha