Enhancing employability: Vocational courses in High schools fail to attract students
Srinagar: The much hyped initiative taken by the J&K government to introduce vocational courses in the government schools at secondary level has fallen flat owing to the laxity of the department to make these courses functional in the schools.
The initiative was taken to hone employability skills among the students at secondary and senior secondary level.
However, the initiative failed to take off in the school education department for unknown reasons.
“The decision was taken in 2015 after a lull of three years since the component was introduced in erstwhile centrally sponsored Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RSMA) scheme. But the department failed to carry it forward due to which the move was shelved despite the nod from MHRD,” an official said.
Earlier the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had asked the state government to identify around 132 government schools for introduction of vocational courses in the schools from ninth standard, however, there was no headway in the implementation of the scheme in JK,” the official added.
“The introduction of Vocational Education from class 9th onwards was supposed to equip students with skills commensurate to the market requirements,” the official said.
Notably, the department had identified more than 70 government High Schools for the purpose and the concerned school heads were directed to provide admissions in vocational courses in the schools soon after the declaration of 8th class annual results.
“But there was very poor response from the students for these vocational courses and education department failed to create awareness about these courses among the students as well,” the official said.
The department had decided to start admission in two vocational courses in each school identified by the government.
“The courses were approved by MHRD in the Project Approval Board Meeting for RMSA scheme with JK state. The courses included IT & ITeS, Retail, Tourism, Healthcare, Automobile Repair and Security,” the official added.
The department was supposed to enroll 25 students against each course on JK Board of School Education (BOSE) format.
“The schools were however asked to conduct the aptitude test of the students in case the number of application was above 25,” the official said.
Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Muhammad Younis Malik said the initiative was taken in 2015 and he was not aware of the later developments.
“A meeting will be convened with the concerned officials to get the details about the initiative. We will see in how many schools such courses are still functional and get feedback about why the courses were stopped in other schools,” he said.
KV Correspondent
