Vocational Education

Let us analyze as to what is the purpose of any education. Education is what makes us into good human beings, honest, loyal citizens, and, above all, makes us fit for a livelihood. This being the basic purpose of education, we, in India have failed to provide the relevant education to our children in the past fifty years and more. When all the basic rewards of education are not forthcoming, we have to understand that our education system has failed.

Even since 1947, educational institutes have increased by leaps and bounds in numbers but, seeing the turnout of these educational houses. 90% of the children do not fit into any of the above-mentioned norms or measurements of a good education. Seeing the children, we can easily find out that neither they are good human beings, nor are they loyal citizens, and most of all; they are not even capable of earning a livelihood. Then, let us ask our educationists as to what have they planned for the future of India, by giving this education to the budding generation.

This is the result of bad and haphazard planning on the part of the educationists. We have increased institutions of education in number but have failed to lay any stress on the quality of the education that these institutes impart, or the subjects we teach. We are still following the subjects of study introduced in our curriculum by the British rulers which have lost their significance for us today being free Indians. This is why this bankruptcy or achievement by our educated children. Besides a lop-sided curriculum, we have neglected our primary education and pampered higher education, which has led to a vacuum in the basic literacy standards. Even our colleges which have had a mushroom growth in the last five decades are turning out plain and simple graduates and postgraduates who are absolutely unemployable when they come out of their colleges.

Instead of increasing the numbers of colleges for general studies, it would have been better if we had introduced more vocational centres and institutes for the large masses of children coming out of schools. If we had done this, when the children left school, they would have some skill to join an institute and then to get a job in that skill. Even at the school level, it would be more appropriate if the wards were taught some skills like painting, drawing, clay modeling, etc. which be a part of the syllabus. They could have it as an extra-curricular activity which they would enjoy and at the same time get groomed for the skill. These children, as they enter college they can start learning repair and mechanical jobs etc. This process would enable the students to develop some skills and also show their aptitudes. For these children, college would be their vocational centre. These centres could, at a higher level also give degrees or diplomas in the skills of the study. Such institutes are the IITs that do train the students to achieve some skills but they are too few, and plain colleges are too many. So, the result is that trained people who are employable after studies are very few, and the unemployable masses are too large a number. Training institutes like the IITs could give graduation degrees and even post-graduation degrees to the children, and then the picture would be the reverse of what it is today. There would then be more employable turnout and fewer unemployable masses.

The system to be built up will spread the right type of education and guarantee to the children a basic livelihood, once they come out after completing their education. With the establishment of vocational colleges for different vocations, the trend of our educational system would be put on the rails, and it could be expected to be fruitful. In these fifty years of independence, we have only succeeded in turning out rowdy, indisciplined, and unemployable youth. Once they get vocational education, their main aim of getting employment will be fulfilled and so, there will also be less rowdyism from them, as they will be settled. It will be good for the country also, for the masses of the young will be in a position to join the mainstream of nation-building as soon as they come out of their education outfit.

Regarding imparting on the children the know-how of loyalty and good citizenship, this must be inculcated in the small children in the very primary stage, as that is the time to learn the finer things of life. Our schools have lost track of this essentiality of education, somewhere in these decades. Values are to be imbibed in the very young, so our educationists must catch them young to teach discipline love, and loyalty. If this is done at a very early age, then the roots cannot be removed, and we will have a stock of balanced-well-behaved youth rather than the ill-behaved youth that our institutions are presently producing.