Teachers are considered to be one of the most important pillars of the education system. As they are the first point of contact for a student’s educational and personal development, teachers’ development and empowerment have become an essential need for a quality education system.

Recent years have seen a massive shift in the educational systems. We live in a knowledge society where students prefer practical learning experiences that help them enhance their skills. However, in order to lead the education system in this new direction, it is crucial to first develop quality teachers through systematic, practical and standard policies. This need for creating a holistic approach for teaching has led the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) to develop a strong foundation through The National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST). The standards aim to ensure quality training, career progression and incorporate a professional code of conduct for teachers.

Rishabh Khanna, Cognitive Scientist and CEO of Suraasa, who also led numerous technical presentations in NCTE’s open-house discussions shares, “Every industry has professional standards that guide consistent development of its professionals. For teachers, however, there were no such standard policies that could help them grow as professionals. We have seen teachers being in the same role for 20-30 years, many times without much financial growth. Backed by extensive research and practical analysis, NPST holds tremendous potential to enhance the qualitative growth of the teaching profession. It will help us achieve our goal of teacher empowerment and also orchestrate a holistic framework for a teacher’s career progression.”

The NPST is aligned with the NEP 2020 to build a framework that highlights the competence of Indian teachers. Through a detailed policy that covers every aspect of teacher development, the NPST is all set to reform the teaching sector forever with their quality-driven and global approach.

The first public draft of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) constitutes a definite guide that illustrates the role of a teacher at different levels of expertise and at different stages of their career. The goal here is the preparation, development and growth of teachers through various stages of their career.