GCERT: Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training, Gandhinagar

The Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT) was initially a State Institute of Education and it was only in 1988 that it was upgraded as a SCERT. It is now named as Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT). It is a fully structured State level academic institution and is controlled and guided by a Governing body as well as an Executive Committee.

The GCERT works as a prominent institution for implementing the policies, programmes and researches in the State. It also provides resource support and guidance to all the teacher education institutions and works in collaboration with the NGOs, Subject experts, Educationalists and pioneers in bringing about reforms in the remote and underserved areas of the State.

It disseminates latest information with regard to modern trends and approaches in primary education, pre-service and in-service education, pedagogical advances in the country, wide use of distance education as a mode of training, organizing community awareness programmes and updation of curriculum of primary education in view of new and emerging concerns. Even the State Ministry of Education banks upon its expertise. The Council is committed to bringing about qualitative improvement in school education particularly Elementary Education, development of curriculum syllabi, instructional material and evaluation strategies to explore suitable solutions to educational challenges with the changing time. The GCERT has scaled a unique journey with experimentation from chalk to satellite, scaling an arduous terrain in the field of educational reforms.

Mission

Providing Quality Education on the philosophy of Child centered, Activity based, Burden free, Joyful learning of students of Primary Schools.

GCERT Objectives

To bring about qualitative enhancement at all levels of education.
To provide academic research extension and training support in the field of school education throughout the state.
To assist / advise the Department of Education, Government of Gujarat to implement its policies and major programmes in the field of primary education.
To provide academic backup, Leadership, guidance and suggestion for the qualitative improvement of primary education through reorientation of educational content and practice.
To provide Leadership, academic guidance, suggestions to institutions such as DIETs, CTEs, IASEs and GBTC to achieve the goals of revamping primary education in Gujarat State.
To organize innovative programmes for the propagation and dissemination for new trends and approaches related to education.
To Guide and monitor the functioning of CTEs / IASEs and other institutions under the State Department of Education.
To provide academic support and guidance to educational institutions through visits to concerned offices, CRCs and teachers.
To publish educational Literature.
To organize creative programmes like Science fairs, Balmela, Ramatotsav at grass-root level to promote the overall development of children.

GCERT Functions

To Undertake, assist, promote and co-ordinate researches in all branches of education.
To organize in-service and pre-service training programmes for primary and secondary teachers mainly at advance level.
To exercise academic and administrative control over DIETs, CTEs and IASEs.
To exercise academic control over PTTIs and primary schools affiliated to District Education Committees.
To conduct research, innovations, case studies and experiments, projects in the field of primary education.
To develop and disseminate improved educational techniques and practices in the schools.
To undertake the preparation and publication of reference material, supplementary materials, periodicals and other literature as may be necessary for furtherance of its objectives.
To implement programmes related to Adolescence Education, Population Education, IPTT-ITV, Distance Education and Environment Education.
To provide academic assistance/guidance to educational institutions through visits to concerned offices, CRCs, BRCs and schools.
To improve, revise and upgrade the curriculum of training colleges with the changing times.

GCERT Teacher Training

This branch is mainly deals with improvement of the quality of elementary education. The training is extended to approximate 2.25 lac primary teachers in the state and about 10,000 trainees and teacher educators comprising of ADEI, BRC, CRC, Head Teacher and PTC ( D.EL.ED) other stake holders as per the felt needs.

Objectives

To review the existing curriculum and syllabus.
To improve and reformulate the curriculum
To develop local curriculum in accordance with the specific local dialect.
To determine units of the syllabus concerned.
To develop techniques of students’ evaluation at different stages
To construct and develop co-curricular material and aids.
To construct improvised teaching-learning material (TLM) and to provide guidance for its use.
To organize workshops on programmes like construction of Question Bank, Question Paper and remedial teaching
To incorporate innovative approaches, methods, techniques and impact of social changes in relevant curricula.
To prepare question paper designs for external examinations.

GCERT Research & Innovation – Educational Research

The GCERT aims to bring out qualitative improvement at all the levels of school education by providing academic inputs and infrastructure of the DIETs, CTE and IASE. It works as a prominent nodal agency for implementing the educational policies, programs and researches. It provides resource support to all the Teacher Education Institutions. The GCERT has established coordination with the NGOs, subject experts, educationists for bringing reforms in the far-flung and under several areas of the State.

Science-Maths

Various activities involving science & Mathematics subjects were undertaken by Science and Mathematics Unit of GCERT with a view to learn Science & Mathematics intensively in order to improve the qualitative in elementary, secondary & higher secondary schools of the Gujarat state.

Planning & Management

Department of Planning and Management is engaged in preparation of plan activities to ensure receipt of State and Central fund and design strategy for implementation of activities. It also undertakes the management with reference to human resource and financial funds. The progresses of the activities were reviewed on quarterly and yearly basis.

The branch, in coordination with DIETs and educational institutions is involved in extending guidance in the field of Educational Planning, Management and Evaluation of Educational Programs to DIETs, CRCs and Schools.

Functions

Maintenance of statistical educational of information
Preparation of Annual Planning related to the State Level Training Programs.
To Provide Professional and Resource Support in Educational Planning and Management at all levels of administration.
To prepare Annual Administrative Reports.
To prepare Need based/Research based/Area based training programs.
To prepare Annual and budget under Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Teacher Education and other Futuristic Planning. Supply of all or any information to MHRD.
Co-ordination and collaboration with all stake holders form national level, international level to grass root level