The education department is planning to set up teachers’ training colleges under all state universities to fill up vacancies of trained instructors at government schools.

At present, only Patna University offers a regular BEd course.

Interested students can train to become teachers at Patna Training College, Women’s Training College and Patna Women’s College.

There are nine government-funded universities in Bihar. Each of them could soon have institutes to train teachers.

“The government will provide all necessary help to set up BEd colleges under different universities so that government schools can hire trained teachers,” said education department special secretary Sanjeevan Sinha.

He also said teacher training colleges would function on the lines of the institutes under Patna University. “A meeting would soon be convened between officials of different universities and the education department to work out the plan.”

The different universities would provide a detailed project report about their planned expenditure to set up the training colleges. Based on the reports, the government would prepare a financial plan.

Sources in the department said the purpose behind opening teachers’ training colleges was to provide training to un-trained teachers.

Around 2.5 lakh teachers were appointed in government schools in two phases in 2006 and 2008. But most of them are un-trained. Sources said around 1.5 lakh of these teachers were enrolled with Indira Gandhi National Open University and pursuing a BEd degree. Many of them also completed their courses.

However, there are still around 39,000 teachers at various government schools who do not have a BEd degree nor they are enrolled in any teachers’ training course.

Around 1.5 lakh more teachers would be appointed at government schools by the end of this year.

The education department conducted the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) earlier this year and 1.5 lakh candidates were declared successful. But around 60 per cent of these candidates are untrained.

The state government has also approached the World Bank to provide loans for teachers’ training. According to the proposal prepared by the government, the World Bank would share 70 per cent of total cost, while 30 per cent would be contributed by the state.

Bihar is the first state in the country to approach the international financial institution seeking assistance for a teachers’ training programme.