New Delhi: Delhi University’s Academic Council has approved the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) course from the 2023-24 academic session. Several teachers had pointed out that the university already ran robust teachers’ programmes such as the two-year Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and the four-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (BElEd). In 2023, the ITEP course is going to be offered at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College for Women and Mata Sundri College for Women.
Since the announcement of the ITEP course, the teachers of the Department of Education have been opposing the move and teachers also pointed out that the new ITEP course still did not have a course structure. Eminent academics in education from different parts of the world had also written to DU on not killing the BElEd degree course while seeking to introduce academic innovation.
DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh said, “The ITEP program is not going to impact any teacher education programs already in existence and no course is going to be stopped.” Vikas Gupta, an elected AC member, said, “There are significant differences between ITEP and the other teacher education courses in terms of structure, components, and eligibility criteria for students and teachers. The ITEP is allowing 30 per cent modifications”. The Vice-Chancellor said that this will not have any impact on the teacher education programs going on earlier and no course will be closed. He also said that this course is going to be conducted after Senior Secondary or its equivalent examination or as per the NEP 2020 structure of school education.