Few government schools run vocational courses

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 8

At a time when other states and union territories across the country are strengthening the education sector with special focus on entrepreneurship and vocational training, the authorities in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are yet to lay the much needed emphasis on this at the school level.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry in 2017 had implemented the scheme of Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education as per the need of the schools and students across the country, wherein the vocational education was to be imparted from Classes IX to XII in government secondary and higher secondary schools. The initiative was taken by the Central ministry to provide opportunities to school students in the field of vocational education, more job roles in various sectors needed to be identified.

Sources said the implementation of the scheme continued to be poor in the UT in the government schools both in rural and urban areas. As per data available, there are only 10 schools in J&K (five each in rural and urban areas) offering vocational streams/courses. As far as strength of the staff in these schools is concerned, the total number of teachers in vocational courses/streams in government schools in the rural areas is just 9, including 8 males and 1 female. In urban government schools, the total strength is 7, including 4 males and 3 females.

In terms of enrollment of students in vocational courses/streams in Class XI, the total enrollment of students in rural government schools is 134, including 50 boys and 84 girls while in urban government schools, the total strength is 385, including 264 boys and 121 girls.

Similarly, in Class XII, the total students enrolled to vocational courses/steams in rural areas are only 70, which included 39 boys and 31 girls. In urban government schools, the strength of students is 365, including 232 boys and 133 girls.

“As compared to other states and union territories, J&K is way behind both in terms of enrollment and teaching staff requirement in government schools to impart skills to the students under the Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. The students’ enrollment in government schools outside the UT is in thousands and there is also availability of ample staff for teaching purpose as well”, an official said.

“States like Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh are performing well to ensure that there should be enough government schools and staff at the secondary and higher secondary level to teach students vocational courses/streams”, the official further said.

Scheme implemented in 2017

• The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry in 2017 had implemented the scheme of Vocationalisation of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education as per the need of the schools and students across the country.
• Vocational education was to be imparted from Classes IX to XII in government secondary and higher secondary schools. 
• The initiative was taken by the Central ministry to provide opportunities to school students in the field of vocational education, more job roles in various sectors needed to be identified.