Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani said on Tuesday that vocational trades should not be underprivileged vis-à-vis regular academic courses.
“A plumber, electrician or mechanic should have nothing to be ashamed of. I feel proud that 15 years ago I washed utensils in a hotel in Mumbai,” she said while addressing a meeting of state education ministers.
Ms. Irani was talking about offering vocational courses through the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). Higher Education Secretary Satyanarayan Mohanty said that revamping the system is imperative. “Disassociating ourselves from the snobbery of gentrified education is important,” Mr. Mohanty said, adding, that when the world, faced with their declining workforce, is ready to get skilled people from India, “how we organise ourselves is the key.”
Additional Secretary Amarjeet Sinha appealed to states that in the next academic year, 5000 colleges offering vocational education should be started. So far, he explained, there are 127 such college and 200 community colleges.
“100 Deen Dayal Upadhyay Kaushal Kendras are being established for research in vocational education and as centres of excellence for skill development,” he added.
The CBCS allows students to take vocational and entrepreneurial courses across institutions. Mr. Sinha cited the example of Mumbai’s Ramnarain Ruia College of Science and Arts, which allows its students to take a course in counselling along with the psychology major.
The second point of discussion was the reforms in teacher education. The National Council of Teacher Education has notified 15 courses of teachers’ education including a four-year integrated graduate and bachelors in education degrees which mandate a 20-week internship. The duration of B.Ed and M.Ed courses have been extended to two years.
In a recent letter to varsities, University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Ved Prakash said that the some of the new courses and their duration are not in line with UGC notifications. However, he added, that this would be rectified soon.
Minister of State Upendra Kushwaha said, “We expect the best services from teachers yet we force them into penury. Our objective would remain unaccomplished as long as this situation exists.”
