The Supreme Court of India emphasized on Thursday the critical importance of teacher quality, which plays a key role in shaping the country's future. The court also ruled that the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has the right to request an annual Performance Assessment Report (PAR) from Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs).
The bench, comprising Justices P. S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe, noted the immense importance of NCTE's role in ensuring quality education for children. Since the recognition of the right to education as a fundamental right under the Education Act, the significance of teacher training has increased.
The court stressed that the council and its bodies must ensure the accountability of educational institutions. A High Court order that questioned the council's decision to request PAR from TEIs was overturned. The court stated: 'We cannot understand how a regulatory measure of a statutory body, empowered to achieve systematic and coordinated development of the country's teacher education system, can be restricted in demanding that TEIs submit PAR. ...it is natural and inevitable that NCTE will require interested parties to provide the necessary PAR.'