In order to narrow the existing gap technical manpower in the Hill and Tribal Areas of the North East, the NEC has decided to implement a pilot scheme from the current financial year to provide intensive training annually to 665 teachers of Higher Secondary, Middle and Primary Schools of the Region in science and mathematics.
The North Eastern Council in the meanwhile has accorded sanction for an amount of Rs. 18,23,500 to implement this scheme as a pilot project till 1986 initially. The scheme aims at bringing about improvement of science and mathematics education at school level in the Region by providing necessary training to the existing large number of untrained and under qualified teachers and also by providing support and augment infrastructure for teaching of science and mathematics in the schools and to strengthen the existing State Institutes of Education/SCERT/SIE.
According to the scheme which will be implemented by the Directorate of Education of the Constituent States and Union Territories of the Region the State Institute of Education/SCERT of each of the Constituent Units will be strengthened by providing three qualified teachers for Mathematics, Biology and Physics and Chemistry. At the Higher Secondary level 21 teachers in science and mathematics will be trained in one course from each State/U.T. during 1984-85. At the middle School level altogether 24 teachers covering 8 school of each of the Constituent Units will be trained in science and mathematics in one training camp. At the Primary level refresher training with emphasis on teaching of science and mathematics will be imparted to 50 teachers from each State.
It may be mentioned that the NEC constituted at Working Group in 1982 consisting of Secretaries of Education of Constituent Units of the North Eastern and Director of Manpower Development, North Eastern Council as study the issues of strengthening of teaching of science and mathematics in the region. The Working Group identified the existing deficiency and gaps in the areas like lack of proper infrastructure for teaching of science and mathematics in the school especially in the rural and hill areas lack of proper motivation for learning of science and mathematics from primary level upwards and existence of large number of untrained and under qualified teachers. The Working Group recommended for establishment of a Regional Training Institute for teachers and key resource personnel, strengthening of existing Teachers’ Training Institute of States and Union Territories, one Model Higher Secondary School in each district, one Middle School in each block and enlargement of admission capacity at College in science and mathematics group.
The Fact Finding Team constituted by the Ministry of Education & Cultural of Government of India under the Chairmanship of Dr. R.C. Das, Head of the Department of Teachers’ Education NCERT also recommended training of untrained teacher and revision of the syllabus of the State Teachers’ Training Institute.