How DIET Institutions Contribute to Teacher Training and Development Education is the backbone of a nation, and teachers are the pillars that strengthen that backbone. But a teacher cannot become effective unless he gets the right training, guidance and opportunities for development. Understanding this need, the Government of India established DIET (District Institute of Education and Training) institutes. DIET institutes are functioning in districts across the country and play an important role in raising the level of primary education.
What is DIET?
DIET i.e. “District Institute of Education and Training”, are such institutes which work at the district level and are mainly created for the training of primary and upper primary level teachers. Their purpose is not only to train teachers, but also to connect them with new education methods, innovations and technological developments from time to time.
Teacher training at pre-primary and elementary level
The first role of DIET institutes is to train teachers teaching in primary and upper primary schools. These include:
- Giving an understanding of child psychology
- Practicing different teaching methods
- Inculcating value-based education
- Emphasis on holistic development along with curriculum-based training
- Teachers trained through these institutes not only become good teachers, but also contribute to the mental and moral upbringing of students.
In-service training
Teaching is a continuous process. Once a teacher starts working after training, it does not mean that his learning stops. DIET institutes understand this well and hence they regularly organize in-service training programs.
In these trainings, teachers:
- Get acquainted with new education policies
- Learn to use digital learning tools
- Participate in workshops based on new concepts like inclusive education, NEP 2020
Development of teaching material and text support resources
DIET institutes not only provide training, but they also prepare locally appropriate teaching material for teachers. Such as:
- Text material in local language or dialect
- Teaching methods connecting local cultural contexts
- Workbooks, worksheets, activity manuals etc. for both teachers and students
- This teaching material is especially useful in rural areas, where the geographical and cultural conditions of schools are different.
Encouraging innovation and experiments
Innovation is given great importance in DIET institutes. Here teachers are taught to do small experiments in the classroom based on their experiences, such as:
- Teaching based on children’s participation
- Understanding mathematics and science through games
- Enhancing language skills through storytelling
- DIET prepares its report by recording these experiments, so that other teachers can also take inspiration from these innovations.
Research and evaluation
DIET institutes do research and evaluation from time to time to improve the education system. Such as:
- Assessment of students’ learning progress
- Impact of various government schemes like Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan
- Analysis of the level of efficiency and classroom management of teachers
- This research helps local education officials to make better decisions and also contributes to policy-making.
Special importance of DIET in rural areas
A large part of India is located in rural areas, where the condition of education is still improving. DIET institutes become especially important in these areas, because:
- There is a shortage of teachers and lack of training
- Local content is required due to linguistic diversity
- It is difficult to keep children in school due to economic and social challenges
In such a situation, teachers trained by DIET have a better understanding of how to bring children from rural backgrounds into the mainstream of education and keep them in school.
National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and the role of DIET
Teacher training has been considered a major point in the New Education Policy 2020. The policy clearly states that teacher-training institutes need to be strengthened. DIET institutes play a central role in this:
- Laying the ground for the 4-year integrated B.Ed programme suggested in the policy
- Promoting school leadership training
- Contributing to increasing digital literacy
- Challenges faced by DIET institutes
Although DIET institutes are a stronghold in the education system, they too face several challenges: - Lack of resources (such as smart classes, labs, availability of trainers)
- Often lack of regularity in training programmes
- Lack of teacher attendance and interest in rural areas
- Lack of support at the administrative level
- To overcome these challenges, DIET institutes need to be further strengthened.
Conclusion
DIET institutes are the silent heroes of our country’s education system. They not only train teachers, but also provide them a platform where they can share their ideas, experiments and experiences. Only a strong teacher can create a strong generation, and DIETs are playing a vital role in achieving this goal.
