State launches intensive five-day training for pre-primary teachers

Agartala: The Directorate of Elementary Education kicked off a five-day training session this Monday. It targets teachers staffing new pre-primary sections for the 2026-27 academic year. Held at Maharani Tulsibati Girls Higher Secondary School in Agartala, the event runs through September 25. Eighty-seven educators are participating, drawn from the Khowai, Sepahijala, and West Tripura districts.

The group includes 46 teachers from Khowai, 34 from Sepahijala, and seven from West Tripura. Ten master trainers are leading the charge. The sessions cover child psychology, classroom management, play-based learning, and assessment methods. Teachers will also learn to build and use puppets as teaching tools. The program aligns with the National Education Policy 2020.

Director of Elementary Education Dr. Samit Roy Choudhury, Joint Director Harshita Biswas, Branch Officer Abhijit Samajpati, and principal Kuheli Debbarma opened the event. Roy Choudhury told the staff they must build a safe, joyful, and fear-free space for students. He noted that children starting at age three need help with their social, mental, and behavioral growth.

Biswas described a shift toward child-centered learning. "Implementation of ECCE marked a gradual shift from conventional lecture-based teaching towards activity-based and child-centred learning," she said. Principal Debbarma added that real learning starts when kids actually want to come to school. Dr. Hillol Mukherjee from the Institute of Advanced Studies in Education will lead a child psychology session on the second day. The state continues to supply new materials and infrastructure to support these teachers.