Global Citizenship Education in Pre-Service Teacher Education: Status and Implementation

Abstract

The National Education Policy 2020 champions the cause of Global Citizenship Education at all stages of education. This will naturally entail a big shift in the curriculum so as to include the development of cognitive, behavioural and social-emotional domains of future global citizens .This education shall include the development of attitudes, values and skill sets that prevail upon in developing societies that are peaceful, tolerant and inclusive. In order to evolve as global citizens, students at the tertiary stage of education firstly need to be empowered in understanding the need and relevance of multicultural education which teaches them to respect diversity and inclusion. Secondly the learners need to be equipped as ambassadors of protection of human rights who uphold the values of social justice, equality and equity in all walks of life. This in turn shall go a long way in ensuring their civic participation. Thirdly it is important that as responsible and responsive citizens they contribute to economic development too .This would mean mastering the twenty first century skills including developing an entrepreneurial mindset. For societies to be tolerant and peaceful it is a pre-requisite to manage resources judiciously .GCED therefore shall also include a discourse on environmental conservation and sustainable development in order to sensitise students towards the need for environmental protection. In order to reflect on the modalities of implementation of the mandate of integrating GCED in the higher education curriculum this paper examines the different subjects and pedagogical strategies that may be adopted at the under graduate and post graduate level of pre service teacher education programmes in India. The focus of implementation this paper examined is keeping in mind the development of future teachers, teacher educators, curriculum developers, policy planners and administrators in the field of education who are well equipped as global citizens.