Challenges In Preparing Technical Teachers Of Tomorrow

Technical education in India has grown tremendously since independence. There is mushroom growth of technical institutions imparting technical education at various levels. About 200,000 teachers and managers are involved in planning and managing the system. With the emergence of new technologies, globalization of workforce, inadequate capacity of technical institutions for meeting needs of continuing education, increased emphasis on soft skills in world of work etc., the training of technical teachers will have to undergo a radical change. Use of new technologies like electronic media, computer technology, satellite communication, internet facilities and upcoming virtual and remote laboratories for developing practical skills among prospective engineers, for imparting education and training in technical institutions, has opened up the classroom to the outside world. Teachers will no longer remain the sole voice of authority and they will have to interact very differently with the students. It has been recognized that future workplaces will require more emphasis on employability skills as they seek adaptable, responsible and ethical workers with high level interpersonal skills. Accordingly, teachers need to be proficient in using innovative strategies that develop soft skills among prospective engineers. In the present paper, the future areas like knowledge of using new technologies for imparting instruction, developing content for use in new technologies, awareness of intellectual property rights and flexibility in offering teacher training etc. for the training of technical teachers are discussed