In a significant push for educator upskilling, the Delhi government has announced the reopening of key professional development courses for the current academic year. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will offer a suite of online training programs aimed at teachers, school heads, and teacher educators across the capital's schools.
Courses and Key Focus Areas
The initiative includes the revival of several structured programs. The flagship NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement) courses will focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE). These modules, available in English, Hindi, and Urdu, are designed to align classroom practices with the National Education Policy (NEP) at the foundational stage.
Alongside NISHTHA, the SCERT is offering General Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses. These cover a broad spectrum of contemporary themes crucial for modern educators. The curriculum includes vital topics like cyber hygiene, social media safety, digital wellness, inclusive education, and instructional design for technology integration. Other areas are media literacy, financial safety, data privacy, environmental hazards such as e-waste, action research, and the use of open educational resources.
Additionally, the council will provide shorter nano courses concentrating on cyberspace safety and related domains, allowing for focused skill enhancement.
Enrollment Process and Deadlines
All interested educators can register for these courses exclusively through the national DIKSHA portal. The platform hosts all learning modules in a digital format, featuring video lessons, text-based materials, and assessments. This setup allows participants to learn at their own pace within the overall course timeline.
The SCERT has set clear deadlines for the process. Enrollment for all courses will remain open until March 10, 2026. However, once registered, participants must complete their chosen courses by March 15, 2026. The council has explicitly advised teachers and school heads to adhere to this schedule, noting that access to course links will expire after the final deadline.
Wider Impact on Delhi's Education System
This training drive is targeted at educators in government, government-aided, unaided, and private schools in Delhi. The overarching goal is to strengthen the professional capacity of the teaching community and ensure wider access to updated pedagogical and digital skills across Delhi's school ecosystem.
By leveraging the DIKSHA platform, the SCERT aims to provide flexible, accessible, and relevant training that addresses both foundational teaching methods and emerging challenges in the digital age. This move is expected to directly impact classroom quality and student learning outcomes in line with national educational priorities.
