Cabinet nod for continuation of vocational education in govt schools

The Cabinet Committee on Skill Development has given its approval for continuation and revision of the scheme "vocationalisation of secondary and higher secondary education".

This will be a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) under which financial assistance will be given to all State Governments /Union Territory administrations for implementation of vocational education in Government Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools and incentive will be given to Government aided and recognized private schools during the remaining period of the 12th Plan.

Besides introduction of vocational education in schools, the scheme would involve capacity building of vocational education teachers / skill trainers, development of competency based curriculum and teaching material, development of MIS for monitoring and tracking students and funding of innovative practices under vocational education.

The total allocation approved by the Planning Commission for the scheme in the 12th five year plan is Rs. 500 crore per annum.

Approximately two lakh students per annum are expected to benefit from the scheme during the remaining period of the 12th Five Year Plan.

The objectives of the scheme are to enhance the employability of youth through competency based modular vocational courses; to maintain their competitiveness through provisions of multi-entry multi-exit learning opportunities and vertical mobility; to fill the gap between the educated and the employable; and to decrease pressure on academic higher education.

Further, skills and employability of the youth will be enhanced through industry and demand driven vocational courses.

Till date 1119 schools across 21 States and Union Territories have been covered from the year 2011-12 onwards when the revised scheme was approved. 19,300 students were covered in the year 2011-12, 73,300 students were covered in 2012-13 and 1.19 lakh students were covered in 2013-14. Competency based curriculum and courseware has been developed in 7 trades.

The revised scheme of "vocationalization of higher secondary education" was approved in September, 2011 for the remaining period of the 11th five year plan.

A pilot based on the national vocational education qualification framework was approved as part of the revised scheme and it was decided that the continuation of the scheme in the 12th five year plan, will be taken up on the basis of learnings emerging from the pilot.

The Ministry issued an executive order on the national vocational education qualifications framework in September 2012 and a pilot on national vocational education qualification framework (NVEQF) under the scheme was launched in Haryana across 40 schools in September 2012. The scheme is being revised based on the learnings emerging from the Haryana Pilot.