Separate board to soon promote vocational courses: Sibal

Updated on: Tuesday, December 07, 2010

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said the govt is looking at setting up a separate board on the lines of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to promote vocational education in the country.

The government also plans to set national vocational education framework by mid-2011, Sibal said, adding "this would help school students who are unable to complete higher education or the students who are not academically bright but have other skill sets."

He, however, did not provide any specific timeline as when the board would be created.

"We are planning to create a separate CBSE board for vocational education. The framework in this regard would be set up by mid next year. There will be a different curriculum for vocational education where students can choose the subjects depending on their interest from cooking to automobile engineering," Sibal said at a conference here.

The proposed vocational training will begin at the school level and will be of 10 levels. Students from Class Eight onwards will be able to take up various vocational courses, like carpentry and para-medical, along with their regular courses till Class Twelve. This programme would also help mitigate the shortage of skilled personnel in the country, Sibal said.

He said it would help empower children through imparting skills and would thereby lead to an inclusive education, which is currently the "need of the hour."

"We have to strengthen education system in the country. We are all set to achieve the critical mass by 2020. For this we have to promote vocational education," Sibal said, adding that the universities should enable a seamless transition of these students from the senior secondary level to the undergraduate level..

Separate board to soon promote vocational courses: Sibal

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