HRD and Skill development ministries tasked to increase enrolment in schools to churn out more skilled population
NEW DELHI: The ministries of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) have jointly been tasked to bring down the rate of dropout and increase enrolments at primary, secondary and higher secondary levels, which is aimed at creating at least 10 crore new jobs by 2022 through various skill development initiatives to the younger population that is largely unskilled which could retard India’s growth.
A senior MHRD official pointed out that they would have to work out a plan in this regard which would require increased enrolment in secondary and higher secondary schools by over 20 and 15 percent respectively for which additional budget may be required.
According to the statistics provided by the Unified District Information System for Education, only 80 percent of the children got enrolled from primary to the secondary level of school education in 2015-16, while the figure dropped further to 56 per cent in a higher secondary level of schooling.
The Narendra Modi government has set a target to create 10 crore new jobs by 2022 and was recently announced Union budget.
Based on the recommendations, higher budgetary allocation could be sanctioned for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) schemes which cater to promote more enrolments in primary and secondary levels of education, an HRD official said.
“There has been sharp dropout amongst children right from primary to secondary and higher secondary levels of schooling, which is our core target, as children till higher secondary levels would be largely put to various skill development programmes to meet the demand of the Indian industry that desperately lacks skilled workers,” said a senior official with the Ministry of Skill Development And Entrepreneurship.
The central government has allocated Rs 23,500 crore against SSA and Rs 3,830 crore for RMSA for the financial year 2017-18, an increase of 4.5 per cent and 20 per cent respectively. However, the MHRD had sought demand of Rs 55,000 crores for SSA, of which only Rs 23,500 crore was allocated in the budget.
While primary schooling is up to Class 5, secondary education is for schooling is between Class 6th and 8th, while for senior secondary it is between Class 9th to Class 12th.
Various sectors of Indian industry have expressed concerned over the lack of skilled workers that would hit the India’s are of production and infrastructure. This is despite that India has the youngest population in the world, with more than 50 percent younger than 25 years and more than 65 percent younger than 35 years, according to.
In 2020, the average age of an Indian is expected to be 29 compared with 37 in China and 48 in Japan, according to National Sample Survey Organisation.