HISTORY OF THE COLLEGE
Our Institution, Government Brennen College of Teacher Education, Thalassery was named as “Government Training College Tellicherry” when it was established in September 1957. The institution is situated in the heart of the Thalasshery Town, in between the Old Bus stand and Municipal stadium.
Our college covered many milestones before it attained the present status as College of Teacher Education (CTE). On the 1st September of 1862, (Late) Capt. Edward Brennen, a Master Attendant of Tellicherry Port established an educational institution in Tellicherry town “to give the boys of all castes, creeds and colour a sound English education” and he left the endowment of Rs 8,900 for opening of the free school. In 1866, this institution was upgraded and amalgamated with Basal German Mission Brennen English School (B.G.M Brennen English School). Within two years i.e., in 1868, the school was again upgradd to a high school. However in 1872, the institution was taken over by the then Government. The decision was taken by the Governor of Madras as the Basal Mission was not able to manage the institution. Till 1883 it was a district school under the management of Government. In 1884, the school was transferred to Tellicherry Municipality on the basis of the Government policy.
During the year of 1890, this full-fledged High School was converted to a Second Grade known as “Government Brennen College, Tellicherry.” The college has functioned in this building for a long period. When the Brennen College was shifted to the present campus at Dharmadam in 1957, Government Training College was established in its place at Tellicherry. Since June 1958, the Training College is housed in these old Government Brennen College buildings. The Training College was formally inaugurated by Dr. B.Ramakrishna Rao, the then Governor of Kerala on 13th September 1957. This institution is situated in 1.52 acres of its own land since June 1958.
The Government Brennen Higher Secondary School, the institution which is now situated in the college premises is the old Model high school. A high school, known as ‘Model School’ was attached with every Training College during that period. So, this school was upgraded and shifted from Chirakkara to this college premises for the smooth functioning of the Training College. Later, it was again upgraded and re-named as ‘Govt. Brennen Higher Secondary School.’
The Government Training College Thalasshery was upgraded and re-named as Government College of Teacher Education under the Central Govt. Scheme sponsored by Ministry of Human Resources and Development as per Order No. G.O. (Rt.) 1788/94/H. Edn. Dated 29-11-1994 with manifold purpose in the field of Education. This institution has now developed to the level of National centre for giving In-service Training to Secondary School Teachers of Kannur and Kasaragod Districts and to improve the quality of teachers through an on-going process of intensive training programme every year.
The college was affiliated to the University of Kerala at the time of the establishment in 1957. Later it was affiliated to the University of Calicut due to the formation of the new University in 1968. When the University of Kannur was established in 1996, this institution also was affiliated to the Kannur University.
The College now offers two courses- B.Ed. and Ph.D. in Education. The total intake of students in B.Ed. course is 50. For B.Ed., the institution offers the following optional subjects:-
- Arabic
- English
- Hindi
- Malayalam
- Mathematics
- Natural Science
- Physical Science
- Social Science
The college is elevated to the status of a Research Centre in Education in 2008. Part-time and Full-time Scholars under Kannur University are doing research in education here.
M.Ed. Course was started in October 2011 with an intake if 25 students, but was discontinued from 2014
The College has been assigned as a Coursework Centre of Ph.D. in Education of Kannur University in 2012.