The West Bengal University of Teachers' Training, Education Planning and Administration Bill, 2014, was today passed by voice vote despite the appeal of Opposition that it be sent to the Select Committee for review.
The Act aims to bring all institutions imparting teachers' training under a common umbrella.
The Left Front and the SUCI preferred the Bill to be first sent to the Select Committee for a comprehensive review, but the ruling Trinamool Congress said it was important to pass it immediately considering its scope of improving the quality of pre-service and in-service teachers' education.
The Supreme Court-appointed Justice Verma Commission had recently recommended improvement of the quality of pre-service and in-service teachers' education at the graduate and post-graduate level and the Bill was in accord with that, state Higher Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said.
"This will bring all institutions, including state-aided and self-financing, imparting teachers' training, education planning and administration under a common umbrella. It will also help institutionalise faculty development programmes," the minister said.
With help of the Act, the state government intends to upgrade the existing David Hare Training College in south Kolkata into a state-aided university and subsequently to a Centre of Excellence in teachers' training, education planning and administration, Chatterjee said.
