Teacher trainees must participate in adult literacy push under ULLAS scheme

All aspiring teachers pursuing courses at NCTE-recognised teacher education institutions will be required to serve as volunteer instructors under the ULLAS (Unlocking Latent Potential through Adult Learning and Skilling) scheme, according to newly released guidelines.

The 32-page directive stipulates that every student-teacher enrolled in accredited teacher education programmes must actively engage as a Volunteer Teacher under the ULLAS framework. This mandatory participation represents a significant expansion of the government's adult literacy and skilling initiative, leveraging the emerging pool of trained educators to extend educational outreach.

The move is designed to create a dual benefit: providing practical teaching experience to student-teachers while simultaneously accelerating progress toward India's adult literacy objectives. By integrating ULLAS participation into teacher training curricula, the initiative seeks to build a committed cadre of educators with direct exposure to adult learning dynamics from the outset of their teaching careers.

ULLAS, a centrally-supported scheme, focuses on providing basic literacy and skills training to adult learners across India. The inclusion of student-teachers as volunteer instructors is expected to strengthen programme capacity and ensure consistent educational delivery in underserved communities.