(a) whether the Government has any proposal to integrate vocational training with the school
curriculum for revitalising the education imparted in schools in order to have better job
creation in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is taking any measures to introduce cluster development
mechanism, which could align the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises with job
creating agenda; and
(d) if so, the response of the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)
(a) & (b): The Department of School Education and Literacy is implementing the scheme of
Vocationalisation of School Education under the umbrella of ‘Samagra Shiksha - an integrated
scheme for school education’, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The scheme aims at integrating
Vocational Education with general academic education in all Secondary/Senior Secondary
schools; enhancing the Employability and Entrepreneurial abilities of the students, providing
exposure to work environment; and generating awareness amongst students about various
career options so as to enable them to make a choice in accordance with their aptitude,
competence and aspirations. The scheme covers Government and Government aided schools.
The scheme has a provision for providing exposure to vocational education to students of
Classes VI to VIII with an aim to provide opportunities to the students to orient themselves
with the skills required for the various occupations in a sector and to equip them to make
informed choices while selecting their subjects in higher classes.
Under Vocational Education component of ‘Samagra Shiksha’, NSQF compliant vocational
courses are offered to the students from class 9th to 12th in the schools covered under the
scheme. At the Secondary level i.e. Class IX and X, vocational modules are offered to the
students as an additional subject. At Sr. Secondary level, i.e. Class XI and XII, vocational
courses are offered as a compulsory (elective) subject. Vocational Courses are selected on the
basis of notional hours, age & educational qualification prescribed and suitability for school
students. The State Governments have been advised that Vocational courses are to be treated at
par with other academic subjects and accorded a similar status in the scheme of subjects.
Till March 2021, 12813 schools have been approved under the scheme out of which the
scheme has so far been implemented in 11,710 schools with the reported enrolment of
15,63,319 students. For the year 2021-22, 1622 new schools have been approved for
Vocational Education under Samagra Shiksha taking the total number of schools approved for
implementing the scheme to 14435 schools.
(c) & (d): The Ministry of MSME implements Micro and Small Enterprises Cluster
Development Programme (MSE-CDP) to enhance competitiveness and productivity of Micro
and Small Enterprises. Under the scheme, central grant is provided for setting up of Common
Facility Centres and Creation and up-gradation of industrial area/estates.
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