Updated February 5, 2022
Diploma in Elementary Education is a 2-year full-time diploma program that imparts teaching skills, teaching methodology, and subject-wise knowledge to the candidates. Also, the programme is designed to prepare students to work at primary level/upper primary in government and private schools. This course is crucial for the aspirants who are highly motivated in teaching the children. Through the course, the student-teachers are provided adequate knowledge and training that help them to bring the most out of them. The four-semester course provides enough experience of excellent guidance and handling children at the elementary level.
The course offers numerous career opportunities to students in numerous sectors, including Primary schools, Secondary and higher secondary schools, Government Schools, Nursery, Private Schools, Day Care Centres, Private tuitions, coaching classes, to mention a few. Moreover, the candidates can hold several important positions, including teacher, assistant teacher, writer, home tutor, education coordinator, and many more. To land a promising career through this privileged course, the candidates would have to fulfil the essential qualification and obtain the degree.
Eligibility for the Diploma in Elementary Education Program
The candidates seeking admission to the Diploma in Elementary Education course must qualify the essential and basic requirements for admission-
(a) The candidates must have completed their Higher Secondary Education or 10+2 from a recognized board.
(b) Candidates who have passed intermediate or 10+2 from any stream are eligible for admission to the D.El.Ed program
(c) The candidate must have qualified a minimum aggregate of 50% in the qualifying exam with all subjects put together.
(d) The age bar may vary from one state to another state board. However, the minimum age criteria are 18 years, and the maximum age limit is 35 years.
(e) Candidates should have good command over communication skills, creative thinking, patience, and aptitude to teach.
Admission Process to the Diploma in Elementary Education
Admission to the Diploma in Elementary Education is merit-based. The students would have to cross the minimum cut-off marks set up by the entrance boards. Several states conduct entrance exams to provide admission in the Diploma in Elementary education every year. The students of the respective forms must give an entrance exam and clear it to get access in the D.El.Ed program. It is mandatory for every student interested and highly motivated to teach the children. After crossing the cut-off marks, the eligible candidates would be called for a personal interview round. Based on the entrance exam score and performance in the interview, candidates will be finally shortlisted for admission in the D.El.Ed. course. To make a clear mental map for the students, I have listed down 5 phases that every student would have to complete to finally be admitted to the programme. Among them are-
(a) This is the first phase of admission in the programme. In this phase, candidates would have to check whether they are completing the basic and essential qualifications for the program or not. If the candidates are eligible, then they can apply for admission in the state of their choice.
(b) If you have reached this phase, it means you have completed your first phase. In this phase, you will have to fill the application form correctly. After a few days, you will get the admit card to appear for the entrance exam.
(c) The third one is the most critical phase because the selection of candidates is based on the performance made in the entrance exam. In this phase, you will have to appear for the entrance exam of the course and qualify for it.
(d) You will be called for a personal interview/counselling round when you make your score above the states entrance board’s cut-offs. It is the fourth phase of the course of admission.
(e) It is the last phase or fifth phase of admission in the programme. In this phase, candidates would be selected based on their score in the entrance exam and performance in the interview round. If student names are shortlisted, admission to the Diploma in Elementary Education is finally granted.
Course Structure of the Diploma in Elementary Education
The Diploma in Elementary Education is designed to produce competent teachers to impart quality education to the children when they would teach. Through the program, they are provided with interactive, broad knowledge and other essential skills to handle the primary children effectively. Although the course syllabus is similar to every institute, a slight difference can be visible. Diploma in Elementary Education course is divided into two parts: General course and subject disciplines. Syllabus disciplines are further divided into subject content courses and method courses. The program includes these papers to prepare versatile and effective teachers by providing a broad knowledge of the subject areas. The course is also helpful for candidates interested in further studies, including B.Ed, M.A., and many more. The subject areas of the Diploma in Elementary course include: (a) Principles for child development, (b) Education practice, (c) Study of school pedagogy, and (e) Role of a teacher in the grooming of students.
Since the Diploma in Elementary Education is a 2-year program and has a vast syllabus, the course has been divided into minor factions (semester) that reduce the burden of the syllabus. The students require to complete the whole syllabus semester-wise. Some of the essential subjects to be studied in the course are-
(a) Childhood and the Development of Children–
This course is introduced to equip the student-teachers to understand the elementary school child’s socio-cultural contexts. And, according to which, he/she can impart quality education to the primary school children. In this course, student-teachers deal with several aspects, including Understanding the aspects of child development and growth, knowing the meaning and characteristics of child development, Understanding the development of needs of childhood, Understanding the child labour, and many more.
Specific Units in the paper are-
- Physical – Motor Development
- Social, Emotional and Moral Development
- Childhood
- Contexts of Socialization
(b) Education in Contemporary Society–
It is one of the crucial courses in the Diploma in Elementary Education programme. It comprises five units that throw light on the relationship of social structure (multi-religious, hierarchical multilingual and multicultural), inequality prevalent in Indian society in context to Indian Education system, issues in the field of education, articles and DPSP in relation to the educational context and many more. Important units in the D.El.Ed Programme are-
- Perspectives on society and schooling
- Inequalities in Indian Society
- Contemporary Issues and Concerns in Education
- Constitution of India and Education
- Teacher as Social transformer
(c) School Culture, Leadership and Change
This course is added to enhance the relationship between school culture and teacher leadership. It is so because social culture and teacher leadership are essential aspects for the school’s excellence. Any change to schools is often met with resistance and could not ever be successful if the nebulous school culture is not taken care of properly. School culture plays an essential role as it envelopes and surrounds teachers forming their perspective and influencing their actions and decisions. Through the course, student-teachers deal with several critical aspects, including leadership styles, leadership concepts, Communication, Team Building, Essential communication skills for teachers, Barriers to effective communication, to name a few.
(d) Towards Understanding the Self
This unit is quite important for the student-teachers because self-concept is the sum of a complex, organized, and dynamic system of learned beliefs, attitudes and opinions that each person holds to be true about his or her existence. Since you are going to teach an elementary school child, you need to consider this far influencing factor. In the course, student-teachers will learn numerous aspects, including factors affecting the development of self, Concept and development of self, Life Skills: Concept and development, Factors affecting personality development and many more.
(e) Pedagogy of Environmental Studies
In this course, student-teachers will learn the importance of Environmental Education, Concept of Environmental Studies, Objectives of Environmental Studies, Developing an EVS kit- its usage and importance, EVS curriculum at primary level, to name a few. After that, they could impart education to the children according to their needs.
(f) Guidance and Counselling
Elementary school children’s minds are fragile, and they could be easily manipulated and influenced. So, good guidance and counselling are required to shape the children’s mind in the right direction and help them discover the optimum level of potential. In this course, the student-teachers are provided with the lessons of guidance and counselling on how to handle and impart quality education to the children. The aspirants go through the various aspects, including Areas of Guidance, Guidance: Concept and its needs, Behavioral problems with children, Counseling: Meaning and difference between counselling and guidance, to mention a few.
(g) Cognition, Socio-cultural Context-
In this course, the aspirants will deal with the lessons, including Culture: Concept, Cultural influence on education and difference, Social change: Meaning and concept, Cause and effects of social change, Sources of Value Education, and many more. This unit has an important role in imparting interactive knowledge and skills to the student-teachers.
(h) Pedagogy of English Language
Language plays a vital role in human life, and one needs language to convey facts, information, maintain social relations etc. English is considered an international link language because it is used for communication worldwide. So, this unit is included in the programme to have better interaction with elementary school children. Some important aspects of being learned by the aspirants are- Language Skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing, Place of English Language in the curriculum: Its objectives, importance and principles, Approaches of teaching English, Lesson planning and material development, to mention a few.
(i) School and Health Education
As a teacher, it is the sole right to provide the appropriate knowledge to the children about health education. The aspirants are given proper knowledge about health education and wellness, which on later, they impart their knowledge to primary school children. Some of the topics included in the D.El.Ed programme are- various aspects of health, Concept of health and its importance, Physical education, Personal Hygiene and its importance, Safety Education and many more.
(j) Fine Arts and Education
Fine arts education is helpful in many ways, including increasing academic intelligence and achievements, skill development, civic engagement, social relationships, and the opportunities of the children participating in it, which are the skills that a nation wishes to develop among its youth. The student-teachers are given fine arts education in the diploma in the elementary education programme to implement on the children. Important units in the course are- (a) Panning and organization of Art experience, (b) Understanding Arts and Art education, (c) Comprehensive and continuity evaluation in Art Education, (d) Visual Arts and Crafts, (e) Importance of Art Education at primary level.
The student-teachers deal with various other important aspects of the Diploma in Elementary Education program, including teacher identity and school culture, Education Society, Internship, Proficiency in English, Diversity and education, Mathematics education for the primary, to name a few.
Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) Specializations-
This course does not offer specialization, but you can join numerous sectors after getting the Diploma in Elementary Education degree as per your interest. Several sectors where a person can work are-
- Primary schools
- Secondary and higher secondary school
- Colleges
- Universities
- Government Schools
- Nursery
- Private Schools
- Day Care Centres
- Private tuitions
- Coaching classes
Courses Similar to the Diploma in Elementary Education
D.El.Ed. is an elementary-level course of teachers training. Diploma in Elementary Education is the most sought-after course and is somewhat like other programs like D.Ed (Diploma in Education) and D.T.Ed (Diploma in Teachers Education). Moreover, the other most sought-after courses in teaching education are JBT or the ETT (Elementary Teacher Training). The courses mentioned above have similar courses and the same study material throughout the semester, and the courses provide similar possibilities in recruitment and jobs.
Career Prospects and Job Opportunities-
After this highly privileged course, candidates looking for career opportunities can be primary teachers, assistant teachers, and education coordinators at any reputed educational institution. Finding a job following D.El.Ed is much easier, which may seem like a difficult task. Many well-known companies, institutions, universities, and colleges have students on the lookout to fill suitable vacancies, and numerous institutions and universities have regular hiring of candidates with D.El.Ed as a qualification for education.
Apart from that, they can go for higher studies like Bachelor of Education, MA, M.ed., etc. Further studies provide a candidate with a deep understanding of topics and issues that eventually make the most. As an educator, he must possess a basic understanding of the subject that he’s trying to teach. Students may take admission to B.ed followed by M.ed, which students typically accept. Students can also be admitted into the Bachelor of Arts with language proficiency as their primary subject for further study.
Top Colleges for the Diploma in Elementary Education-
1. Arunachal University of Studies, Lohit
2. Primary Teachers Education College, Bihar
3. Women Primary Teachers Education Knowledge, Chandwara
4. Sai Nath University, Ranchi
5. Integral University, Lucknow
6. Bombay Teachers Training College, Mumbai
7. Sri Sai College of Education, Pathankot
8. St. Mary’s College of Teacher Education, Kottayam
9. Green Valley College of Education, Bhopal
10. Sanskriti University, Mathura