New plan for commission

 THE Teaching Service Commission plans to put new intakes of teachers through three years of training in colleges before they start work,  chairman Baran Sori says.

That is to ensure that the education system has quality and qualified teachers. 

Sori said to provide quality teachers, the commission planned to have three-year training for trainee teachers at colleges.

He said the first two years would be on theory and the third on practical.

“Two years in teachers colleges is not adequate training,” he said.

He said committing trainee teachers to practical sessions in the third year would build their confidence.

He said some should be sent to remote schools so that they appreciated their profession better.

“Not a lot of teachers want to go out to rural schools because of their remoteness,” he said. 

“But it is good to send trainees out there so that they build their confidence and provide inclusive education,” he said.

He said the three-year training plan would depend on the Department of Education’s approval.

“This is the commission’s idea of providing quality and confident teachers and inclusive education,” he said.

He said that the entry level to most teacher training colleges were very low.

He said trainee teachers in colleges must have at least a GPA of 2.7 or 2.8 to be accepted. 

Sori said to attract quality intakes to teachers colleges, the commission had ensured that they were offered reasonable pay packages. This will come into effect from next year.