BHUBANESWAR: Emphasising integration of vocational learning in mainstream education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the School and Mass Education (SME) department has decided to merge the existing vocational higher secondary schools with their host schools.
Issuing a direction to this effect recently, the directorate of Higher Secondary Education has asked all government and government-aided higher secondary schools, having vocational schools on their campuses, not to create any separate UDISE code for them.
“In accordance with the vision of NEP 2020, vocational education should be treated as an integral part of school education rather than a separate entity,” director Raghuram R Iyer has said in a letter to the principals of the schools.
To align with the concept, he stated that there will no longer be a requirement to create separate UDISE codes for vocational higher secondary schools operating under the host schools. “The students of these schools whether they are studying regular subjects or learning job-related skills will be considered part of the same higher secondary school structure to create a more inclusive learning environment,” Iyer said.
After merger, a dedicated ‘vocational’ section similar to Arts, Commerce and Science will be created and the data of students enrolled in vocational streams added to the UDISE code of the host school.
The DHSE has decided to implement the move in phases. While the vocational schools in 16 host schools will be merged in this academic session, it will be implemented in the remaining such schools from the 2025-26 academic year.
Notably, the state government has also planned to introduce vocational courses in secondary and higher secondary schools through Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) from the next academic session to prepare students for the job market.
The courses have been planned to be introduced in 1,543 schools in the first phase.