Empowerment of Educators
By: Mukhtar Ahmad Qureshi
In fact, the real future creators of a nation are the educators. They are the teachers and trainers, as well as facilitators of learning. These, indeed, are the people who help create the future of a society by mentoring young minds in achieving the position of future leaders in the making.
The NEP 2020 in India identifies the important role of teachers in the education scenario and places a premium on their continuing professional development. Quality training for the empowerment of teachers is hereby considered important to quality in education and building an equitable and inclusive education system. Professional development, as advocated by NEP-2020, is one of the cornerstones of this transformation agenda, making teachers effective, adaptable, and inspired throughout their career.
1.The role of teachers in the 21st century
Teachers have roles to play beyond teaching in the modern world. They are considered a facilitator, mentor, and guide to help the students “paddle through” navigating the complex sea of information as well as rapid changes in time with the advent of technology. The teachers will also be expected to create such environments that foster creativity and stimulate critical thinking while developing problem-solving skills, all under different classroom dynamics management.
Another reason is the driving demand of new teaching strategies because of the advent of technology, changes in societal needs, and the globalized nature of today’s world. Updating skills and knowledge is, thus, a prerequisite for effective operation in this highly dynamic environment. This shift of burden makes teachers continue their professional development so as to adopt new learning strategies, use technology, and address the proper learning need of every student.
- NEP-2020 Vision on Empowering Teachers
NEP-2020 points out that quality of teachers is a very crucial aspect of quality in education. The reform of education must put teachers at its centre. It recommends the continuous professional development of teachers as one of its key propositions on an inclusive platform across the entire educational and learning spectrum.
NEP-2020 emphasizes the setting up of the National Professional Standards for Teachers that outline clear articulation of standards for competencies and qualifications for teachers so that the quality of teaching in the whole of the country becomes standardized. In this approach, teachers need to meet only the minimum requirements but also be given periodic opportunities to enhance their abilities throughout their careers.
NEP-2020 has also stressed that professional development becomes a continuous process. Therefore, in this direction, the policy has ensured that each teacher should undergo professional development for at least 50 hours every year. It might include workshops, seminars, online training sessions, peer learning opportunities, and mentorship programs. This would ensure that the teaching professional remains up to date with the current pedagogical approaches, the subject knowledge, and technological changes while being better prepared to impart high-quality instructions to their students.
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Compulsory, Not Voluntary
One of the most important recommendations by NEP-2020 is that continuing professional development should be made compulsory for educators. CPD is not a one-time activity but a continuous learning, growing, and reflecting process. It helps teachers to remain dynamic and responsive to change in curriculums, pedagogy, and the needs of their students.
Why is CPD necessary?
Pedagogical Innovations: Considering the fact that online learning technologies and newer approaches to pedagogy such as blended learning, flipped classrooms, and inquiry-based learning are on the rise, teachers need to be equipped with new methodologies through CPD. They would acquire skills to more fruitfully apply the latest techniques in this regard for better teaching.
Subject Knowledge: As the subject matter itself remains in constant development in a discipline like science and technology, social sciences, this facilitates updating oneself as new knowledge evolves in the given field to make the teaching matter relevant and contemporary.
Classroom Management: The varied classrooms prompt a teacher to call for management skills for mixed student needs, including children with special needs, to ensure proper learning takes place. Professional development in inclusive education and differentiated instruction can help a teacher effectively manage the classrooms.
Emotional and Mental Well-being: Focus on the well-being of teachers NEP-2020 gives importance to teacher well-being. The CPD programs in emotional intelligence, stress management, and counselling skills will help keep a check on students’ mental fitness while ensuring teachers are answerable for their improved mental health.
- Technology in Professional Development
Integration of technology into education has become indispensable, especially during the events of COVID-19, which brought much faster online learning to everyone. NEP-2020 recognizes this and very strongly advocates for the digital training of teachers. The recommended policy shall be the formation of the National Educational Technology Forum (NETF), which shall serve as a platform for educators to share best practices and learn the latest educational technologies.
Professional development in digital literacy will ensure the right usage of such tools on the part of the educators, such as the use of e-learning, digital assessments, and online collaboration tools. Teachers who are competent in technology are in a better position to provide more engaging, interactive, personalized learning for their students. Moreover, it teaches them how to integrate technology as supplement rather than a substitute for traditional teaching methods.
- Collaboration and Mentorship in Professional Development
Professional development is not only formal training programs but also collaboration and peer learning. NEP-2020 promotes the development of teacher learning communities where the teachers share their problems, successes, and experiences. This community building will enable the teachers to learn from others’ problems and success.
Another crucial point developed in NEP-2020, concerning professional development through mentorship is that pairing an experienced teacher with a novice teacher will help develop schools as a professional learning support system where teachers learn from each other and continually grow professionally. This model does not only help new teachers adapt faster to the profession, but also helps the experienced teachers continue learning and reflecting about their own practices.
- Student Outcomes
Educator empowerment through professional development directly contributes positively to student outcomes. Research has shown that it is better for students academically and for them to participate more actively in the learning process when taught by well-trained, continually developing teachers. Confidently and highly skilfully, a knowledgeable and well-informed teacher uses new pedagogical techniques in the classroom to create a stimulating yet supportive learning environment.
This includes professional development and hopes to bring about quality education and a future where students from all over the country get quality education and do not have to depend on geographic location or the name of the school.
The policy further states that an empowered teaching workforce is the foundation of a robust education system, in which it recognizes that all education systems are only as good as their educators. The vision of NEP-2020 rests on empowering educators through continuous professional development.
Recognizing that teachers are the prime change agents within the education system, the policy advocates for structured, ongoing professional development opportunities to equip the teachers with competencies essential for living in a rapidly changing world. It is in this sense that the education system of India will be made truly competitive, inclusive, and effective going forward by equipping educators with lifelong learning tools. At the end of the day, it is the students who are going to be the ultimate beneficiaries of this focus on professional development, as the quality of education imparted to them is geared towards preparing the next generation to flourish in the 21st century.
(The author hails from Boniyar Baramulla)
