SECONDARY EDUCATION AND 
VOCATIONALISATION
 

University of Calcutta, Calcutta (Seminar held on 19th and 20th September, 1990)

- General education up to class X with adequate provision of vocational component with a view to providing opportunity to the student to develop a proper attitude towards productive- work and ability to link the world of knowledge with the world of work is preferable to vocationalisation of all stages of education.

- In addition, facilities for separate vocational courses should be provided. Dovetailing of general education with technical and vocational education is also an important necessity. The need of different sectors like agriculture, industry, services etc. should be realistically assessed before designing vocational and technical courses.

Gandhi Peace Foundation, 221-23 Dean Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, New Delhi- 110002 (Consultation held on 13th and 14th October- 1990)

- "Work Experience" should be replaced by "Socially Productive Work". both are not synonymous.

- Every student should be involved in vocational training. By offering, right at the beginning, separate streams for vocational training its scope has been restricted. However, there should be separate facilities, other than the common one, for such students who would prefer special training after completing the normal stream.

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Dr. N.R. Madhava. Menon, Director, National Law School of India University, Central College Campus, Bangalore-560001 (Colloquium at Bangalore on 3rd November, 1990

- Vocationalisation should begin at the primary level itself and there must be vertical mobility in the vocational channel of education up to the university level.

- The vocationalisation programme should be culturally appropriate.

Dr. J.K.P. Sinha, Indian Institute of Public Administration, Bihar Regional Branch, Kadamkuan, Patna-800003 (Seminar held at Patna on 9th November, 1990)

- Secondary education should be vocationalised and degrees be delinked from jobs. The programme of vocational education should be in tune with the requirement of society both qualitatively and quantitatively.

- University education should be totally de-politicised and universities should be centres of excellence. The tenure and service conditions of Vice-chancellors should be statutorily defined. The tenure must be for a minimum period of 5 years. Eminent men of outstanding academic achievements should be made the Chancellors of the Universities.

Shri R.N. Madhale, Principal, New English School & Junior College, Mahimangad, Tal. Man Distt. Satara, Maharashtra (9.11.1990)

- Vocational education should be a separate subject.

Shri Sanjeev Ghotge, D2, Indra Raj, Near Sheetal, Fergusson Road, Shivajinagar, Pune (2nd November, 1990)

- Vocational training should not be limited to class room, but should be given on an on-the-job situation. It should also be necessary to create textual material in regional languages for the different vocations.

Shri Manas Joardar, Article in the 'Telegraph', Calcutta dated 15th October, 1990

- The concept of the right to work or the incorporation of socially useful productive work in the curriculum will remain slogans only, unless adequate job opportunities are created. Indigenisation is a correct step in this direction, but nothing tangible can be expected unless industrial and economic policies help to promote it.

Smt. Nirupama Mishra, Article in the 'Orissa Times' (daily) dated 4th November, 1990

- Vocational education is necessary to tackle the unemployment problem. Of course, more job opportunities will have to be created. Expansion of higher education institutions and vocationalisation of education cannot go together. In order to encourage the students to take up vocational studies all efforts should be made to strengthen the SUPW programmes in the secondary schools. In order to extract real economic benefit from the vocational studies there should be qualitative change in our employment policy as well.

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Shri V. Paramasivan, Article in 'The Hindu', New Delhi dated 11th September, 1990

- Educational systems should be so organised as to identify for each child the most suitable vocation and hence the particular educational stream that lie has to follow. The earlier this is done in the educational career of the child the better.

Gandhian Institute of Studies, Rajghat, Varanasi (proceedings of One day seminar held on 11th October, 1990)

- The standard of vocational education at the secondary stage is so low that it does not enable students to get a job.

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