Child, Teacher and Teacher Education

Preface

The children of today are different in the sense that they are:

1. future-oriented;

2. they tend to be more and more comprehensive, global and universal.

3. they attach a great value to the virtues of friendship and commitment to the relations that are rooted in impartiality, team spirit and freedom from rigidities of conventions, dogmas and all the conflicts of ideologies that prevent free inquiry leading up to discoveries and inventions that will sub-serve the ideals of mutuality and harmony;

4. their boundaries tend to be crossed by travels and fresh experiences, and

5. they insist on integrality between profession and practices; they are natural critics of pretence and preaching, and they appreciate achievements and realisations.

Correspondingly the teachers of today and tomorrow have to be different; their roles have to be more stringent and multisided, devoted to the development of integral personality, wide vision of the future of nationalism and internationalism, and capable of fulfil the role of the teacher as exemplar, as a friend, philosopher and guide, as a scientist, psychologist, artist and technologist, and above all, an ideal communicator who can spread uplifting influence by process of awakening and inspiration and contagious enthusiasm.

Teachers of today and tomorrow need to have new programmes of training, which will take care of new roles of the teachers and new trends of the synthesis of East and the West, and as agents of change from old to the new.

We need to have new types of teachers who can find their home anywhere and everywhere and who have abilities, - linguistic and professional, - so as to serve the highest interests of the contemporary children who have new psychology and new demands to find and create new future.

Page 2

We need to establish and conduct institutions, centers and facilities for research in philosophy of education, and sociology of education in the light of the lessons of Indian pedagogy as also of the progressive researches in education that underline child-centered holistic education and methodologies appropriate to the promotion of freedom and discipline and skill-oriented and value-oriented education;

We also need to evolve and implement programmes of teacher's education that would provide education and training to prospective teachers that aim at development that will enhance:

1. The synthesis of scientific realism and creative imagination;

2. Multilingual abilities;

3. Proficiency in pedagogy of high level achievements in various subjects and efflorescence of cognitive, conative and affective faculties;

4. Mastery over new methodologies of education that blend advanced teaching instruments and subtle psychological sensibilities;

5. Proficiency in curriculum development in respect of various subjects of studies as also in respect of methodologies of testing students' performance, integral development of personality, and character that is committed to pursuit of truth, nationalism, and highest welfare of humanity in terms of synthesis of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity;

6. Multisided physical education, healthcare and promotion of the international system of sports and games as also the spirit of youthfulness, adventure, and readiness to participate in services related to defense of peace and international understanding;

7. Nurturing exemplary character and competent abilities of communication that can awaken, inspire and enthuse the students;

8. Understanding of pupils in respect of their gifts and challenges that they confront in the process of their progress and harmonious and integral growth;

9. Development of capacity to meet the challenges of explosion of knowledge and of constant changes in the roles of teachers; and

10. Promotion of general knowledge and wide vision of the development of future.

11. Promotion of the indigenous tradition of teacher-student relationship (Guru-Shishya parampara) in various fields of humanities, arts, crafts, sciences, technologies and yoga (psychological and physical education);

Page 3

1. Promotion of advanced research relating to teachers' education for purposes of advancement of capacities to teach and learn among professional teachers as also among parents, social educators and social workers;

2. Promotion of national and international cooperation in teacher's education as also in the development of teaching-learning material through online programmes, documentaries, musical and dramatic programmes and films; and

3. Promotion of programmes that will enhance the highest aims of pedagogy and synthesis of knowledge-systems and internationalism.

Part of what is contained in this book has been written over several years; but much of the rest is a result of stimulation received from deliberations of the Curriculum Committee set up by the Government of Gujarat for its newly established university. The Indian Institute of Teacher Education.

I am grateful to the members of this committee for the stimulation they have provided to me. I am particularly thankful to Smt. Jayanti S. Ravi, Commissioner of Higher Education, Government of Gujarat, who as the Member Secretary of the curriculum committee provided continuous support.

I am also happy to acknowledge the help I have received from Smt. Rekha Rathi in preparing the text of the book.

I am also thankful to the members of my personal staff, particularly, Shri Mukesh and Shri Kalpesh Prajapati for secretarial assistance they have provided.

KIREET JOSHI

Page 4