KOZHIKODE: With the dawn of the new academic year, the stage has been set for the creation of two categories of students in Vocational Higher Secondary schools(VHSS) in the state. While one set of students in 66 government VHSE schools will pursue the latest courses in tune with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), majority of the students in the 323 aided VHSE schools will continue to pursue existing courses, most of them outdated. The reason: the government’s decision to implement the Centre-stipulated NSQF only in government schools this year.
As per the Centre’s directive, all skill-based courses in the country should follow the NSQF, a competency-based framework for assessing the skill level, knowledge and aptitude of the students. No fewer than 147 VHSE courses will be brought under the NSQF which will give more weightage to practical aspects and employability skills. With the deadline ending in December, the government had no choice than to implement it since the courses out of sync with NSQF will cease to be valid from 2019.
Phased rollout
VHSE Director Farook A said the directorate is all set to roll out NSQF-compliant courses in 66 government VHSE schools this year. “The study material prepared by the Central Institute of Vocational Education will be supplied on time. We expect a smooth rollout of the NSQF-prescribed courses from the coming academic year,” he said. The faculty will be provided training in the new curriculum during June, he said.
On the logic behind the selective introduction of NSQF, the VHSE director said it was practically impossible to implement it in all schools in the current academic year. “By implementing it in a phased manner, we can identify issues which need to be ironed out and go in for gradual implementation across all schools,” he said.
Education Department authorities chose to play down the insistence on the December 2018 deadline. “The deadline is only for starting its implementation. In other states too, the transition to the NSQF is happening in a phased manner. There will be an extension. So there is no cause for concern,” said an officer.
Future uncertain?
However, the teachers’ associations have decried the government move. According to A V Indulal, general secretary of Kerala Aided Teachers’ Association, there will be few takers for the courses in the 323 aided VHSE schools, eventually leading to the shutdown of such institutions. “Once NSQF is implemented, only those students who have passed the latest course will be valued by the industry. What will happen to those students who are pursuing the existing courses? Creating anarchy in the VHSE sector will only sound its death knell,” he said.