Vocational courses to be part of school curriculum

To ensure that students are not found wanting in the job market, vocational courses will become a part of the school curriculum in Karnataka from the next academic year.

Primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri made this announcement on Saturday during a brain-storming session of National Vocational Education Qualification Framework for Karnataka. States are getting financial assistance from the Centre for the scheme—Vocationalisation of Secondary Education.

The states have been told to introduce vocational education at the higher secondary stage. In the first year, it will be offered to Class IX students and will be optional.

The minister said a paradox exists in the country.  We have a large number of unemployed youth even as recruiters have a regular grievance of shortage of skilled labourers. He said the vocational course aimed to bridge the skill gap and train students to make them job-ready. For this, he said, the government is in touch with the employers.

Kageri said the pilot project would begin in Haryana on November 1. He informed that CBSE schools that used to have 900 hours of curriculum load will now have 700 hours and 200 hours will be spent on vocational courses.