Teacher Qualifications and Expertise in India

The State Of Teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education Report, 2023 provides eye-opening data on aspects related to the qualifications and subject knowledge of teachers, which can be relevant to discussions about teacher capability and adequacy.

1. Lack of Professional Qualification:

• Overall, 10% of all teachers are without any professional qualification.

• Breaking this down, 4% of government teachers and 16% of private school teachers lack a professional qualification.

• A higher proportion of teachers without professional qualifications are found in certain regions, including the North Eastern States (ranging from 15% in Arunachal Pradesh to 39% in Nagaland), Jammu & Kashmir (23%), and Ladakh (25%). Jharkhand (14%), Uttar Pradesh (15%), Bihar (15%), and Madhya Pradesh (11%) also have relatively high proportions.

• The private sector is noted as the major employer of unqualified teachers in most states. However, in a few states like Jharkhand (77%) and Tripura (79%), a large proportion of unqualified teachers are in the government sector.

• Across different levels, 9.85% of teachers teaching at the primary level, 8.89% at the upper primary level, and 6% at the secondary level have no professional qualifications.

2. Lack of Appropriate Professional Qualification (Specific to Level):

• The Right to Education (RTE) Act and recent Supreme Court rulings mandate specific qualifications (DElEd/BElEd or equivalent) for primary school teaching.

• Overall, only 45.72% of teachers teaching primary grades have the appropriate professional qualification (DElEd/BElEd or equivalent).

• While government (60.5%) and aided (68%) schools fare better, only about a fifth (22%) of teachers in private recognised schools teaching primary grades have the appropriate DElEd qualification. Private recognised schools tend to employ BEd holders for primary classes (43% of their primary teachers have BEd).

• In surveyed schools, 58% of primary level teachers were BEd degree holders, mostly in aided or central government society schools.

• The largest proportion of teachers without any professional qualifications (53% in the survey sample) were mostly working in private primary schools.

3. Mismatch Between Academic Specialization and Teaching Subject:

• For teachers in middle and secondary schools, about 68-70% in both government and private schools were teaching subjects related to their undergraduate specialization.

• However, there are notable mismatches: Science teachers without mathematics specialization were teaching mathematics (41% in government, 35% in private). About 15-16% of social science teachers were teaching science subjects.

• Specifically concerning mathematics, SOTTTER ‘23 states that in 55% of cases in government schools and 50% of cases in private schools, mathematics was being taught by a teacher who had not studied mathematics in their undergraduate degree.

4. Quality of Teacher Supply (Based on TET data from one state):

• Analysis of Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) data from one state indicates concerns about the quality of teacher supply, particularly from self-financed institutions.

• SOTTTER ‘23 report an overall low percentage of candidates qualifying the TET.

• Specifically, the overall quality of teachers with DElEd/DElEd professional qualification (for primary) and teachers with BEd (Social Science) is considered low, with only 32% and 38% respectively passing the TET in the analyzed state. The quality of Science-Mathematics teachers is better at 58% qualifying.

• Only approximately 15% of qualifying candidates secured more than 60% in the TET.

• For primary teachers, there seems to be a poor level of mathematics content knowledge, reflected in a mean score of 46% in that component of the test. Secondary Science-Mathematics teachers also show this (mean score 50%).

• Low levels of proficiency in regional language were also noted for primary teachers.

• A very large percentage of teachers qualify with between 40% and 50% marks, which is highlighted as a concern.

• SOTTTER ‘23 states that deploying teachers with poor levels of content and pedagogic knowledge has implications for the system’s ability to address quality education.

• The ratio of supply suggests an unevenness by specialization and a serious concern about quality given the low scores of many who qualify.

5. Shortages in Specific Subject Areas/Special Needs:

• While not directly indicating inability of existing staff, reported shortages in certain areas suggest schools may lack teachers with specific required expertise.

• 61% of surveyed schools reported teacher requirements or unfilled vacancies.

• The highest requirement reported was for Mathematics and Science (35%), followed by English (31%), regional language (30%), Physical Education (15-16%), and Music/Art (15-16%).

• Private schools were better off than government schools regarding teachers for Physical Education, Music, and Art.

• Low availability of art and music teachers is noted in government and rural schools.

• The overall low availability of special education teachers is a concern, and the supply of teachers able to work with children with special needs and in inclusive classrooms is not adequate.

In summary, SOTTTER ‘23 indicates that a significant proportion of teachers lack professional qualifications, many primary teachers lack the appropriate qualification for that level, and a notable percentage of middle/secondary teachers teach subjects outside their undergraduate specialization, particularly mathematics. Furthermore, TET data from one state suggests concerns about the quality of teacher supply from training institutions, indicating potential gaps in content and pedagogical knowledge among qualifying teachers. Reported shortages in specific subject areas also suggest challenges in ensuring that every class is taught by a teacher with the specific required expertise.