Career in Teaching

What: Since time immemorial, teaching has been considered as one of the noblest professions. Teachers have always played the role of catalyst for social changes in the society.

Mankind has always regarded teachers as a boon to the society because it’s only a teacher who by making use of his/ her intelligence, patience and wisdom attempts to not only polish the learner’s intellect and aptitude but also takes steps to shape up a  multi-faceted  personality.

Teaching has always held a place of pride in Indian social milieu Career of a teacher in India had ethos. Right from the famous ancient teachers like Vashisht, Dhaumya, Dronacharya, Kripacharya and Parashurama, religious teachers and preachers like Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa down to modern day educationists like Dr.Radhakrishnan, not forgetting our former president Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, teachers have by and large been venerated held in high esteem by the pupils of all age group s and fields of study. The keynote of our culture has always been: Acharya Devo Bhava (the teacher is God).

The pay packet is the best in government-owned schools and colleges. For instance, a teacher in central school teaching primary classes gets a starting pay package of Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 depending on the class that he or she teaches. The government schools offer perquisites such as quarters and commutation and medical allowances. On the other hand, private schools usually offer a higher package of Rs. 25,000+ depending on the class, education, and experience of the teacher. But this may not include other perquisites.

For teaching in colleges, you will earn about Rs 40,000 and above depending on your education and experience.

How: In India, the available opportunities for teachers are in a variety of subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, etc. The demand for good teachers is definitely high considering that today’s children are exposed to the internet and the information overflow. Moreover, virtual classroom teaching has been introduced by some schools, which increases the overall opportunities for teachers.

By pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education after or along with your graduation, you would be able to secure a position as a teacher in a good school. Usually, jobs as teachers in government schools are considered prestigious. However, if you are interested in new methodologies of teaching, you may try for a job in private schools as well.

To enter schools, you should have Bachelors in Education (B.Ed) degree. Colleges across the country offer these degrees. Some universities offer B.Ed courses by correspondence too. One can do a Master’s in Education (M.Ed) later, to add to qualifications.

Basic Training Certificate (BTC), Diploma in Education (D.Ed) and Teacher Training Certificate (TTC) are other courses that can help you get a teaching job.

Where:  The recent Right to Education act introduced in India has thrown many opportunities for education of rural children. Already, India has always been in dearth of teachers in all subjects. Now, one may expect that the demand will only increase. The supply has been less usually due to lesser salaries. However, the government has taken initiatives to improve the situation.

Institutions:

• University of Delhi, New Delhi
• Loyola College, Chennai
• University of Rajasthan, Jaipur
• Jamia Millia University- New Delhi
• University of Mumbai, Mumbai
• University of Calcutta, Kolkata