Career Path for a Teacher in India

By Ankit Kante

09/02/2024

A lot of people in India take up teaching as a profession after either completing school or graduating with a degree. Some take tuitions in a particular subject and at the same time apply for jobs in schools and coaching institutes. This guide will walk you through a career path for teachers in India.

Minimum Qualifications

According to the National Education Policy 2020, teachers will be required to have 

• 4-year bachelor’s degree in education or,

• a Bachelor’s degree in a specialized subject + 2-year bachelor’s degree in education

The bachelor’s degree in education is generally a B.Ed. For teachers in primary school, B.El.Ed. is the degree. The “mandatory B.Ed.” rule is to be implemented by 2030. A lot of private schools still hire teachers without a B.Ed. 

So, the best approach is to identify the location where you want a job, then reach out to schools of interest and ask for their qualification criteria.

Entrance Exams

There is an exam named Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) which is conducted by central and state governments.  Candidates need to clear this exam to be eligible for a teaching job in government schools.

For private schools, the criteria may be different for each school. Some schools hire on the basis of TET. Some have their own hiring process that involves interviews, demo classes etc.

Levels of Teaching Roles

Teaching roles can be categorized into 3 types:

1. Primary Teacher (PRT)

2. Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT)

3. Post Graduate Teacher (PGT)

Primary Teacher (PRT)

Primary teachers teach classes from 1st to 5th. Candidates need a degree in elementary education. It’s either B.El.Ed or D.El.Ed.

Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT)

TGTs teach from class 6th to 8th. Candidates should have a B.Ed. or a Bachelor’s degree + 2 year B.Ed./D.Ed.

Post Graduate Teacher (PGT)

PGTs teach from class 9th to 12th. Candidates should have an M.Ed. or a Master’s degree + B.Ed/D.Ed.

Career beyond School Teaching

“Teaching is a noble profession”. You will hear this line a lot. But, does it pay enough? A lot of teachers would answer “No”. The salaries vary across government and private schools. They also vary across states for government schools. 

Government schools at least provide job stability. And there is the surety that salary will increase every year(even though it is sometimes delayed and the increment is not enough). But, a teacher in a private school probably won’t have a lot of opportunities for increments. Schools in small towns don’t grow exponentially and branch out in other cities. They stay where they are and the number of students also don’t increase radically.

So, what can a school teacher do, if they want to increase their opportunities? Here are some options:

1. Prepare for UGC NET and explore teaching in a college.

2. Start tuitions at home.

3. Start a full fledged coaching institute.

College Teaching

In order to apply for a teaching role in colleges, you need a Master’s degree. In an ideal world, all the professors in a college would have a Doctorate in a subject and they would teach that subject in the college. But, sadly, India’s research environment is not that great. There aren’t a lot of PhD holders. And so, colleges hire faculty on a contractual basis. Salaries vary for each college and their university.

If you want a permanent job, preparing for UGC-NET is a good option. Clearing that exam makes you eligible for the post of “Assistant Professor” in Indian colleges and universities.

Private colleges have the autonomy to hire for permanent roles.You have to clear their interviews and that is it.

Tuitions at home

Teaching students in your free time at home is a great way to earn a side income. Once word of mouth spreads, the number of students will increase and you can make it your primary income.

Full Fledged Coaching

A full fledged coaching will require a decent space in your home or a commercial building. Furniture for students to sit and all the stationary(whiteboards, markers etc) is a must.

Tech savvy institutes have apps that keep track of the syllabus, provide video recordings and daily practice sheets in PDF form.

Conclusion

In all professions, people start with pure intentions. Everyone wants to do good work. Teachers are no different. The main goal is to educate and help students. But, slowly life happens. Financial problems creep in and then teachers’ focus shifts on the commercial aspect of their work. This guide gives a list of options that teachers can pursue to grow in their career financially.

If you are a teacher running a tuition or a coaching, list your institute on shikshatam.com for free and get better visibility.