ABSTRACT
District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) are unique in the Indian initial teacher education scape as they constitute the lone instance of stated-funded institutional development to strengthen the quality and quantity of primary school pre-service teacher education (PSTE). Yet, amidst large supply of self-financed institutions, and their overall liminal presence in state education planning, their continuation in this sector is often questioned in policy corridors. In this chapter, we examine evidence on functioning, quality and importance of pre-service teacher education in DIETs, drawing from research studies on DIETs and analysis of data from teacher eligibility test of one state. Based on the evidence we argue on the importance of continuing and deepening such investment by the state at the district level. We conclude that the activity of pre-service teacher education in DIETs is important for the health of both DIETs and PSTE.
