D.El.Ed. or Diploma in Education is a teacher training programme that equips candidates to become nursery school teachers. The course basically caters to elementary level education in India and is an important job-oriented programme in the field of education. 

Depending on the university/ college in which a candidate applies for admission, duration of D.El.Ed. course varies from one to three years. The minimum duration to complete the course also varies from institute to institute. The course, however, is available as a both full-time and part-time programme.

Admission to D.El.Ed. programme is usually offered on the basis of candidates’ performance in the written entrance test conducted at university/ institute level. However, some institutions also offer direct admission to candidates on the basis of merit. The merit list is prepared by the officials on the basis of candidates’ marks in Class 12^th exams.  

Given below is everything you need to know about D.El.Ed. in terms of its required skillset, eligibility criteria, course curriculum, job prospects and more.

Candidates aspiring to build their career in elementary school teaching should possess the below-mentioned traits and skillset:

To meet eligibility criteria for D.El.Ed. programme candidates should clear Class 12^th in any stream from a recognised board with minimum 50% - 60% aggregate marks.

Note: The eligibility criteria mentioned above might vary depending on the higher education institution in which a candidate is applying.

Subjects that are typically taught in D.El.Ed. course are as mentioned below:

It may be noted that the subjects mentioned above include both theory as well as practical subjects.

Elementary education is imperative for the development of a better society and D.El.Ed. helps in achieving just the same. Candidates who successfully complete D.El.Ed. course come out as skilled and qualified elementary school teachers. Such teachers can find employment opportunities at any institute imparting elementary education such as government schools, private schools, private tuition centres, day care centres, and so on.   

Such candidates can work in capacities such as:

• Teacher: An elementary school teacher’s main job is to implement procedures and manage classroom functions. Along with this, the teacher also teaches the prescribed curriculum and assist students in achieving lesson objectives.
• Writer: Candidates can also choose to become writers for elementary education. They can write articles, books, reports, etc for different organisations.  
• Teacher Assistant: A teacher assistant is responsible for reinforcing lessons presented by teachers by reviewing material with students. The assistant also enforces school and class rules to help the teacher teach students proper behavior. Apart from this, the assistant also helps teachers with tasks like tracking attendance and calculating grades.
• Home Tutor: A home tutor provides one-on-one educational assistance to elementary school students. The tutor works with students to improve their skills in certain subjects. S/he also prepares lessons and assigns as well as corrects homework.  
• Education Coordinator: An education coordinator focuses on quality control. S/he applies his/ her knowledge of learning theory to develop curriculum that offers core competencies required of students.