Booster dose for Kozhikode's vocational higher secondary schools

Draft plan for enhancing academic standards, employability

A district-level workshop of Vocational Higher Secondary School Resource Group conveners, held here on Tuesday, chalked out a draft proposal for enhancing the academic standards and employability of students who complete different vocational higher secondary courses in the district. The proposal also includes measures to enhance the physical fitness and to develop the personality of the students.

There are as many as 37 Vocational Higher Secondary Education (VHSE) schools (aided and government) in the district and there is a general feeling that the VHS schools generally do not get due attention from the authorities and the general public. “What we are aiming is to bring about some effective measures to spruce up the image of the sector by substantially improving its general quality,” said K.K. Sivadasan, district panchayat education standing committee coordinator.

Strengthening of the Production-cum-Training Centres (PTCs) at each school, vocational seminars to selected representatives of different courses from each school, job fairs and career guidance programmes, and product expos for students were some of the measures suggested at the workshop.

Focus on PTCs

Around 30 trades — from engineering, computer science, commerce, medicine, agriculture etc. — were being offered for students at the VHS schools in the district. A common aspect of these courses is the important role played by the PTCs. “That is why the strengthening of PTCs has been given an important place,” said K.P. Asharaf, a senior faculty member.

The district panchayat has decided to grant a fixed amount to each VHS school under it to improve the facilities of the PTCs.

Measures would also be initiated to make the services of specialised trainers in different disciplines available to these centres. “A decision has also been taken to link the PTCs with the outer world through agencies such as Kudumbasree,” said Mr. Asharaf, who had attended the workshop. “Students and the agencies can benefit from such an association,” he added.

Funds for various activities proposed in the workshop will be made available from the annual Plan fund of the district panchayat or other local bodies. “We are planning to begin the proposed activities in a systematic manner from coming June,” said Mr. Sivadasan.