Training Teachers for Young Minds

To provide a lifeline to the impacted teachers, the Supreme Court instructed for the development of a bridge course so that the teachers get the required pedagogic training

The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has introduced a six-month certificate course (Bridge) for primary school teachers to save lakhs of teaching jobs.

Incidentally, a Supreme Court verdict has put the future of thousands of primary school teachers in jeopardy. To safeguard their jobs, NCTE has introduced the six-month bridge course as a corrective measure.

Large numbers of primary teachers in India, estimated at around 3 to 4 lakh, are currently under job threat. In an effort to curb this, the NCTE has issued a mandatory six-month bridge course that seeks to save these teaching jobs.

This course is particularly aimed at BEd-trained teachers who were recruited to primary teaching positions under the instructions laid down by the NCTE on June 28, 2018.

These recruitments were most common in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. Now, to remain in their positions, these teachers have to undergo a specialised course in Primary Teacher Education. If they do not do so, they can be terminated.

In others — such as Chhattisgarh — teachers have already been dismissed. Nevertheless, with the new course rollout, there’s hope once more that several could be rehired after meeting the required training prerequisites.

According to Professor Pankaj Arora , the Chairman of NCTE, the course will be taught online by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). The course has been designed meticulously to match the academic and practical requirements of primary education.

In addition to the theoretical modules, the course will have a compulsory internship element to promote hands-on learning and practical teaching practice.

WHO CAN APPLY?

The bridge course is only for BEd degree holders who were recruited as primary teachers between June 28, 2018, and August 11, 2023 — the day when the Supreme Court gave its final verdict on the matter. Teachers recruited after this date are not covered by the new rule.

It is to be noted that in 2018, NCTE’s notification allowed BEd degree holders to be eligible for primary teacher positions. This led to widespread appointments across the country. However, the Primary Teachers’ Association challenged the notification in the Jodhpur High Court, which ruled in their favour, declaring the notification void. Those appointed as teachers based on this ruling appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s verdict on August 11, 2023.

The Supreme Court also directed that a bridge course be created for the BEd degree holders appointed during this period, ensuring they receive necessary pedagogical training.

Following this, the Supreme Court issued a directive on April 8, 2024, for NCTE to roll out the bridge course before the one-year deadline of April 7, 2025, ensuring that these teachers are equipped with the essential teaching methods required for primary education. The idea is to ensure that these teachers have the required pedagogic training.

The court imposed a deadline on the NCTE — April 7, 2025 — to introduce and commence the course.

If successfully completed, this six-month program could not only give lakhs of teachers job security, but also make them more capable of meeting the special challenges of primary education.

Objective of the Bridge Course

The main goal is to standardise teacher qualifications, ensure better learning outcomes, and upgrade the competencies of the existing teaching workforce.

It emphasises a shift from rote learning to conceptual understanding, supporting NCTE’s broader vision of child-centric and activity-based learning.

Key Features

Duration: 6 months (flexible learning with both online and offline components).

Mandatory for: Teachers appointed before the RTE Act enforcement without required eligibility.

Designed and certified by NCTE and NIOS, focus areas under the course are pedagogy, assessment strategies, classroom management, digital literacy.

Compliance & Future Impact

Teachers who fail to complete the course within the given timeline may face disqualification or other disciplinary action from education authorities. The move is expected to elevate the teaching standards, ensuring every child receives education from qualified and well-trained educators.

This initiative aligns with the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which stresses continuous teacher development and quality education at the foundational level.