Delhi government on Wednesday decided to more than double the faculty positions at its teacher training bodies to 600 and extend UGC-level pay scales to them, in an effort to restructure the education system and attract talents nationally. The decisions were taken regarding the faculty of the State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) and the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs).

The programmes of the two bodies include pre-service and in-service teachers’ education, development of curriculum, and undertaking studies related to school education in Delhi.

“Recognising the primacy of building strong academic and institutional foundation for the series of reform initiatives in education being introduced by the AAP government in Delhi, the government has decided to restructure and strengthen the SCERT and DIETs,” said Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Sisodia also holds the education portfolio.

A senior government official said the restructuring will include an increase in number of academic faculty positions at SCERTs and DIETs from nearly 240 to more than 600 to enable help these institutions better serve their objectives. Delhi government has decided to upgrade the pay-scales and qualifications for faculty to UGC-levels, as is followed by NCERT, to attract talent nationally to work here, he said.

Other decisions taken during a meeting chaired by Sisodia with government officials included setting up two new DIETs, offering diploma in pre-school education at all DIETs and B.Ed courses at three DIETs, according to the official. The restructuring will be carried out as per the advice of an expert committee set up by SCERT, as per the guidelines of Ministry of Human Resource Development’s centrally-sponsored scheme on teacher education, he added.