District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) is a nodal agency for providing academic and resource support at the grassroots level for the success of various strategies and programmes undertaken in the areas of elementary and adult education with special reference to Universalisation of Primary/Elementary Education and National Literacy Mission (NLM) targets with regards to functional literacy in 15-35 age group. DIETS are the special institutions established with the special aim of improving primary education.
THE BEGINNING OF DIET
Until the adaptation of NPE 1986, academic and resource support in the area of elementary education was being provided largely at national and state levels only by institutions like NCERT. NIEPA and SCERTs. Likewise in the area of adult education, the support was provided by the Central Directorate of Adult Education at the national level and by State Resource Centres at the state level. Below the state level, there were elementary teacher education institutions, but their activities were confined mostly to pre-service teacher education.
Quality of education is substantially affected by the quality of teacher training. This in turn, depends upon the stature and status as well as the role and functions of teacher education institutions. The physical, human and academic resources of most of the teacher Education institutions are inadequate, even for the role of pre-service teacher education.
By the time of adaptation of NPE in the year 1986, elementary and adult education systems were already too vast to be adequately supported by national and state level agencies alone. The NPE categorically called for further expansion together with considerable qualitative improvement. The NPE and PoA accordingly envisaged addition of a third district-level tire, to the support system in the shape of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET). DIETS were being established with the financial support from the Central Government in pursuance of NPE 86.
The basic transaction approach of the DIET is placing the learner at the centre to make education a joyful, innovative and satisfying learning activity, rather than a system of rote and cheerless authoritarian instruction. In the case of Adult Education programme Functional Literacy should be imparted to adults in a participative, learner-active mode.
ABOUT DIET SAIHA
DIET Saiha was originally established as Mini DIET/District Resource Centre in 2004. Finally it was upgraded to District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) in December,29, 2012 by Teachers Education Approval Board (TEAB) under MHRD.
DIET Saiha is presently situated at College veng Saiha, Mizoram.
THE GOALS OF DIETs
The following goals are expected to be achieved by the DIETs:
- Provide leadership in innovating pre-service elementary teacher training.
- Contribute to development of quality learning materials for elementary education.
- Carry out innovations for improving the functioning of elementary schools.
- Conduct in-service training programmes to elementary school of teachers.
- Carry out field base empirical studies to improve the primary schools.
- Train functionaries in NFE and adult education.
- Provide support to district authorities in planning in Universalisation of Elementary Education (UEE).
