India plans a national vocational education framework by mid-2011; a seprate board (like CBSE) for vocational education
Following is an excerpt from a report in DNA.
… The government also plans to set national vocational education framework by mid-2011, Sibal said, adding "this would help school students who are unable to complete higher education or the students who are not academically bright but have other skill sets."
…"We are planning to create a separate CBSE board for vocational education. The framework in this regard would be set up by mid next year. There will be a different curriculum for vocational education where students can choose the subjects depending on their interest from cooking to automobile engineering," Sibal said at a conference in Mumbai.
The proposed vocational training will begin at the school level and will be of 10 levels. Students from Class Eight onwards will be able to take up various vocational courses, like carpentry and para-medical, along with their regular courses till Class Twelve. This programme would also help mitigate the shortage of skilled personnel in the country, Sibal said.
He said it would help empower children through imparting skills and would thereby lead to an inclusive education, which is currently the "need of the hour."
"We have to strengthen education system in the country. We are all set to achieve the critical mass by 2020. For this we have to promote vocational education," Sibal said, adding that the universities should enable a seamless transition of these students from the senior secondary level to the undergraduate level.
Sibal said that the vocational education would help empower children through imparting skills and would thereby lead to an inclusive education, which is currently the need of the hour.
Citing data that about 220 million children go to school, however only 14 million reach college, Sibal said India was far behind the developed nations, where the percentage is pegged at round 80 as against the global average of 23%.
December 5th, 2010
