Why in news?
The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has been working to operationalise the National Mission for Mentoring, a key recommendation of the National Education Policy 2020. Recent calls by the University Grants Commission in late 2025 urged universities to nominate experienced faculty to serve as mentors, signalling that the mission is moving from pilot mode to broader implementation.
Background
The NEP 2020 envisioned creating a large pool of expert mentors to improve the quality of school teaching across India. Mentoring allows experienced educators to guide less‑experienced teachers, share best practices and build professional confidence. The NCTE launched the mission in pilot mode in July 2022 across select Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and CBSE schools. A capacity‑building workshop in mid‑2023 refined its guidelines, and a comprehensive NMM Bluebook was released in March 2024. The mission uses both synchronous and asynchronous interactions via a dedicated web portal, ensuring that mentoring can reach remote areas.
Goals of the mission
The NMM aims to strengthen classroom teaching by pairing mentors with mentees in a structured programme. Key objectives include:
- Enhancing pedagogical skills: Mentors will help teachers adopt learner‑centred methods, integrate local knowledge and assess learning outcomes effectively.
- Building digital literacy: Training covers the use of digital tools and open educational resources to make classrooms more interactive and inclusive.
- Fostering inclusive education: Mentors will guide teachers on strategies for children with diverse learning needs, including those with disabilities or from marginalised communities.
- Promoting 21st‑century skills: Emphasis is placed on creative thinking, problem‑solving, socio‑emotional learning and ethical reasoning, helping teachers prepare students for modern challenges.
- Strengthening professionalism: Sessions also address classroom management, ethical conduct, mental well‑being and community engagement, turning teachers into reflective practitioners.
How mentoring works
Under the mission, universities and teacher training institutions identify faculty with at least eight years of teaching experience to serve as mentors. Each mentor works with a group of mentees for a defined period, guiding them through regular online meetings, classroom observations and feedback. The NMM portal ensures that interactions remain secure and confidential, while providing curated learning materials and space for reflective journals. Mentoring occurs in the local language wherever possible, and mentors are trained in sensitivity and leadership before being paired with mentees.
Potential impact
- Continuous professional development: By tapping into experienced educators, the mission creates a culture of lifelong learning and peer support among teachers.
- Addressing rural–urban gaps: Digital mentoring platforms can reach teachers in remote schools, ensuring that quality guidance is not limited to urban centres.
- Improved student outcomes: Better teaching practices and inclusive classrooms will reflect in improved learning outcomes, reduced drop‑out rates and stronger foundational literacy and numeracy.
- Leadership pipeline: Mentoring allows experienced teachers to take on leadership roles, creating a pipeline of resource persons for future teacher education reforms.
Conclusion
The National Mission for Mentoring represents a shift from short‑term workshops to sustained peer‑support among teachers. By combining digital platforms with a human touch, it seeks to transform classrooms into spaces of curiosity and empathy. The success of the mission will depend on widespread participation, ongoing training for mentors and robust monitoring to ensure that mentees are truly benefiting from the guidance offered.
Source: TH
