Bhubaneswar: — A three-day workshop (October 29–31, 2025) is currently underway at the Regional Institute of Education (RIE), Bhubaneswar, bringing together academicians, curriculum developers, and teacher educators from across Odisha and other RIEs. The workshop focuses on integrating health and well-being within the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) — the first major activity following the signing of an MoU between UNESCO and RIE NCERT.
Inaugurating the event, Prof. Manasi Goswami, Principal, RIE Bhubaneswar, appreciated UNESCO’s collaboration, saying, “We deeply value UNESCO’s partnership in this important initiative, which will not only provide technical guidance but also bring in global best practices to strengthen the integration of health and well-being in teacher education with focus on NEP 2020.”
Prof. H.K. Senapaty, Former Director, NCERT and Chairperson, MoU Committee, RIE Bhubaneswar, highlighted the need to embed health and well-being across content, pedagogy, and assessment in pre-service teacher education.
Ms. Sarita Jadav, National Programme Officer (Education), UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, emphasized, “Promoting health and well-being among learners and educators is no longer optional—it is essential to quality education.”
This collaborative initiative aligns with NEP 2020, SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), aiming to equip future teachers to foster safe, inclusive, and health-promoting learning environments.
Teacher educators from 14 institutions across Odisha, along with experts from RIE Mysuru, NERIE Shillong, and other states, are participating. Principals and teacher educators from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand are joining virtually. The workshop also features contributions from Prof. Ritanjali Dash, Prof. Laxmidhar Behera, Prof. Saroj Bala Yadav, Dr. Mohit Mohan Mohanty, and Mr. Prashant Yadav from UNESCO.(PNS)
