Chennai, Sep 3 (IANS) In a bid to strengthen higher education and enhance teaching standards, the Tamil Nadu government is planning to establish a dedicated State Training Centre to train faculty members from government-run arts, science, engineering, polytechnic, and vocational colleges.
At present, the State has 11 government engineering colleges, 54 polytechnic institutions, 165 arts and science colleges, and seven colleges of education.
The Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TANSCHE) has been tasked with drawing up a comprehensive plan for setting up the training facility, which will serve as a central hub for the professional development of government faculty.
A senior official from the Higher Education Department said the centre aims to bring about significant improvements in teaching quality, research, publication output, and institutional growth within a short span.
To achieve this, the centre will feature high-tech classrooms equipped with interactive smart boards, modern computer systems, well-stocked libraries, laboratories with advanced equipment, and a large conference hall.
Subject experts and resource persons will be available to train faculty on emerging trends and best practices.
The official added that nearly 5,000 professors and lecturers from these institutions will undergo training annually. They will be offered orientation programmes, refresher courses, subject-specific workshops, and modules on modern teaching methods, management practices, and e-learning tools.
The state government will spend about Rs 1,200 per faculty member, amounting to nearly Rs 60 lakh per year for the training exercise. Capacity building for teachers, the official stressed, is a key focus of the government.
To bridge the gap between academia and real-world application, the training modules will also include participation from industry partners.
Their involvement is expected to help evolve curriculum design and bring in practical insights for classroom learning.
To ensure that the centre meets international standards, an expert committee will be formed to finalise the training modules, infrastructure requirements, and operational framework. The committee will also suggest ways to integrate continuous professional development as part of faculty service.
The detailed plan will be submitted to the Higher Education Department for final approval, paving the way for the State Training Centre to become a first-of-its-kind initiative in Tamil Nadu’s higher education sector.
–IANS
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