D.El.Ed: How to apply and how is it different from D.Ed

D.El.Ed refers to a Diploma course in Elementary Education specially designed to teach and train candidates for primary level teaching for 2 years. The course aims to train the teachers and make them eligible for teaching the students of Class I to VIII, aged between 6-14 years. The whole 2-year course is divided into 4 semesters in such a way that it contributes towards enhancing the knowledge and teaching skills of the candidates. Under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 which was passed by the Parliament in 2017, the qualification of D.El.Ed was made mandatory for the candidates who are interested in teaching the primary level students.

D.El.Ed: Course Structure

The curriculum’s design in a way that it imparts the techniques of teaching the primary and upper-level students to the candidates, efficiently. This diploma course can be done both through the means of physical classroom training method or distance learning. The trained candidates become eligible for teaching the primary/upper primary level students in part of the country. The pattern of the D.El.Ed course structure is such that it comprises both the theoretical as well as practical aspects. Thus, during the 2-year program, candidates not only get classroom training but also learn practical skills through the mode of internships. The basic outline of the curriculum includes Educational practice skills, principles of child development, Role and duties of a teacher in grooming the students, work and education, Pedagogy of English language, understanding oneself, etc.

D.El.Ed Eligibility Criteria

The D.El.Ed requires a candidate to be an undergraduate who can show his/her Senior Secondary School Certificate or Intermediate or its equivalent from a recognized board of education and must have attained an aggregate of 50% as the minimum percentage. However, the candidates belonging to the reserved categories, i.e, SCs, ST, and OBCs are provided with the relaxation of 5% in the Higher Secondary Examination only on the stipulation that they submit their original reservation certificates along with other required documents.

The age limit for applying in the course is 18 years as the minimum requirement and 35 years as the maximum bar. However, candidates must note that the age requirements differ from one state board to another, and thus candidates must verify the same from the respective state boards they are applying to. Another significant-cum-eligibility criterion for this diploma course is to have good communication skills, learning and teaching ability, and creative thinking.

How to apply for  D.El.Ed?

The admission procedure for  D.El.Ed is conducted and regulated by an organization or board designated by each state in the country. The concerned state conducts the admission procedure annually, and notifications regarding the details of admission are released on the official websites immediately after that. 

It should be noted that some states conduct an entrance exam for taking D.El.Ed admissions, others do not. Thus, the idea of conducting an entrance exam for judging the eligibility of the candidates differs from state to state like the state of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chattisgarh, Bihar, and Odisha conduct entrance exams for D.El.Ed admissions, but U.P. and West Bengal do not. So, candidates are advised to check the criteria of the respective state they wish to apply for. 

The Entrance exam is an objective type written exam with MCQs from the subjects of English, Hindi or regional Language test, General knowledge, Mathematics, English, Numerical Ability, and Teaching Abilities.

The next step in the D.El.Ed’s admission process after the entrance exam is the ‘interview’ only if the candidate passes the entrance exam. Lastly, the candidates are selected based on the scores obtained in the entrance exam in addition to their performance in the interview procedure. 

The application fee is between ₹ 250 – 600. While, the fee for the whole course ranges from ₹5,000 to ₹50,000 annually depending upon the institution the candidate opts and applies for.

What is NIOS D.El.Ed?

National Institute of Open Schooling is an education board under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. The NIOS D.El.Ed program aims at preparing the candidates for elementary teaching and learning. This program has been specially designed for the in-service teachers who have already started working in primary schools, recognized by different states, countrywide. The course helps the candidates in developing necessary teaching skills and techniques.

How to apply for NIOS D.El.Ed Admission?

The criterion for eligibility to get admission in NIOS D.El.Ed is identical to that of the regular D.El.Ed course program. However, the difference is that this degree of diploma provided by NIOS is valid only for the in-service primary teachers. The procedure for admission in this course has been briefly outlined below:

• Visit the official website of NIOS D.El.Ed from here https://dled.nios.ac.in/
• From the category of ‘Teacher’, you can click on the apply link and get yourself registered.
• While registering, you are required to insert your details in the application form. The details like Name, Father’s and Mother’s name, gender, date of Birth, Residential address, email I.D., etc. are to be mandatory.
• The next step is to share a scanned photograph and signature on the online form along with other necessary documents.
• After filling all the details, click on the ‘Register’ button. As soon as you register, you will receive your login details on the email address mentioned in the application form. 
• Using the login details, you can log into your account and pay the required amount either via online or offline mode for being admitted to the course. The current fee amount is ₹250.
• After successful payment for the admission, you can download and save the admission form for future use.
• The admit card for this exam can also be downloaded from the official website. 

Career after completing D.El.Ed

Candidates who successfully complete their D.El.Ed (diploma in Elementary Education Training) can apply for jobs in Government schools, Private schools, Coaching centres, Tuition classes, Daycare centres, Online schools, etc. Candidates can also look for applying as a Librarian, junior teacher, Education counsellor, or Content writer to start their career. Govt. job payouts are about 30 per cent more than Pvt. jobs. However, if any candidate is willing to take up a full-time job as a teacher or professor, he needs to pursue a degree of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) after completing this course.

Is D.El.Ed different from D.Ed?

Diploma in Education (D.Ed) is similar to the Diploma in Elementary Education i.e. D.El.Ed. Both courses have a similar syllabus and course structure. There are no major differences between the two programs than just the name of the course. Both the courses aim to prepare and train candidates for elementary school teaching and inculcate the required skills in a span of 2 years. Both courses offer a classroom as well as distance learning education. However, it must be noted that in order to get yourself admitted to a college/university which offers these courses, you must verify that such an offering institution is approved by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).So, we hope the above article on D.El.Ed, it’s eligibility and application process are clear to you. Start preparing and all the best!