BHUBANESWAR: The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has approached the State Government to introduce five job-oriented vocational courses this year. The five courses are bee-keeping, masoning, driving, motor mechanic and plumbing for secondary and senior secondary students. Another programme is in the pipeline - a six-month certification course in construction management.
“These courses are already a part of our curriculum but not many students are coming forward to pursue them as they are of six-month duration. We are in talks with the State Government to re-frame the courses and reduce the duration to three or four months,” NIOS regional director R K Rath told this paper.
Besides, the NIOS is going to open a study centre at Berhampur Circle Jail on July 8 to provide flexible schooling programmes for the inmates at both secondary and senior secondary levels. Besides, vocational courses like weaving and computer literacy will be provided to the inmates. Rath said that 32 inmates of the jail had already been enrolled for secondary schooling programmes that are a good mix of regular course capsules and lessons that expose them to vocational education.
Sources said there are NIOS centres in as many as 117 SC/ST schools in the remote corners of the State and another 75 would be opened in Government schools soon. Besides, a programme would soon be launched for teachers to upgrade their qualification. “A majority of teachers in rural schools are class 10 pass-outs. But under the Right to Education Act, the teachers are required to pass at least Plus-Two. Hence, we have decided to open courses for the teachers who can opt for open schooling to upgrade their qualification to Plus-Two while in job,” Rath said.
The institute also provides flexibility in terms of subjects which makes open schooling an ideal choice for differently-abled students and for those who had to discontinue their schooling.