Background

•   College of School Education was established in Solan in 1954

•   Converted into State Institute of Education (SIE) in 1970

•   SIE was entrusted the task of preparing programmes and policies from Primary Level to Senior Secondary Level by the State Government

•   SIE was restructured as SCERT on the pattern of NCERT in 1984

•   SCERT was converted into society in 1997 with a provision of grants-in-aid by the Government

•   The grants-in-aid was not released well in time hence the staff remained without salary for months together

•   In view of the above difficulties State Government reviewed the situation and agreed to meet the salary and other requirements like office expenses, travelling expenses from the budget of Higher Education

•   Budgetary allocation by the Government is hardly enough to qualify for functional autonomy hence its status and role has been reduced to any other Educational Institution

Objectives

•   To improve the quality of education in the State by imparting in-service training to teachers , teacher-educators, administrators and other educational personnel

•   To provide academic leadership within the State and act as the hub of academic research, innovation and motivation by organizing workshops and seminars on various issues

•   To be a symbol of quality and to provide valuable insights by conducting studies on issues related to quality education in the State

Desired Roles and Functions

•   To act as an apex body on school education in pursuance of the recommendations of National Policy on Education-1986 (NPE-1986)

•   To be an umbrella body over all DIETs in the State to implement and monitor all the National Educational Programmes

•   To undertake training programmes, evaluation and research work in the field of School Education

•   To organize in-service programmes for teachers, teacher-educators, administrators and ministerial staff

•   To review and develop curriculum, text-books and training material for in-service training programmes

•   To conduct extension activities in Special Education, Population Education, Adolescent Education, Environment Education etc.

•   To develop teaching aids, audio-visual aids, script materials and themes for radio programmes on Population and Adolescent Educaion

•   To Implement programmes of Pre-school Education, Inclusive Education, Women Education, Work Experience and Vocational Education

•   To conduct Educational Surveys from time to time, last being 7th All India School Education Survey

•   To conduct National talent Search Examination (NTSE) every year

•   To offer academic guidance to DIETs and other Educational Institutions

•   To organize Science Popularisation Activities such as seminars, science exhibitions and science fairs for school children

•   To Undertake projects entrusted by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Regional Institute of Education (RIE) and Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF)

Existing Organisational Structure

•   Council is headed by a College Cadre Principal

•   Existing faculty comprises 8 lecturers of College cadre, 6 lecturers of School cadre and 2 TGTs (Arts and Science)

•   29 posts of Lecturers (College Cadre) were created in August 2007, out of which four in the subjects of Economics, Sanskrit, Physical Education and Music(Instrumental) had joined before the withdrawal of notification on 20th March 2008

Ongoing Projects and Activities

•   National Population Education Project (NPEP) is being implemented by SCERT through Population Education Cell since 1981. Some of the contribution of the Project are- i)Installation of Broadband connection in May 2008 ii) Updation of website (www.himachal.nic.in/scert ) in May 2008 iii) Installation of photocopier, scanner etc.

•   Council has been notified as Teacher Training Institute under Persons With Disabilities Act(PWDs) ,1995 to address the Educational Needs of Special Children

•   Assigned the target to train 50% of school lecturers by December 2008. So far under the project 87 State Resource Persons and 35 School Lecturers have been trained

•   NTSE scholarship sponsored by NCERT is being conducted

•   An exam under National Means-cum-Merit scholarship scheme for weaker sections proposed by MHRD to be conducted from this year in July 2008 to curtail the dropout rate after Elementary Level

•   7th All India School Education Survey has been completed only recently and Mid Term Achievemeny Survey for Class III and Class VIII is being conducted

•   For popularisation of science, various activities like science seminars, science exhibitions etc.are organized every year

•   In-service teacher training programmes entrusted by Department of Higher Education shall be organized from July 2008 (schedule submitted and budget awaited)

•   A Programme on Environment Education(EE) is likely to be implemented in the school system of State from this session to be funded by MOEF New Delhi

•   Teacher Learning Material (TLM) on EE will be developed

•   Under the above programme,1857 school lecturers are to be trained by March 2009