Govt push for open schooling system

It has also proposed to develop quality parameters for open schooling courses, making them relevant for livelihood and in conformity with the National Curriculum Framework 2005.

HRD Ministry officials said several other proposals were adopted at the general body meeting of National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) here yesterday, primarily with a focus on supplementing the objectives of Right to Education and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan.

"The meeting also resolved to establish linkages between vocational training and academic courses to enhance employability potential of youths," they said.

The meeting chaired by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal also resolved to take the gross enrolment ratio at the secondary level by 15 per cent through open schooling system by setting up and promoting such schools in the states.

Further, the meeting resolved to enhance professional and academic qualifications of in-service untrained teachers at elementary level through distance mode training programmes in keeping with the provisions of RTE.

The General Body also discussed a road map developed by NIOS for vocational education and training and strategy for integration of same with academic courses.

The road map seeks introduction of vocational stream courses at senior secondary level and developing competency- based modular courses for skill training with the provision of credit accumulation and transfer.

It also calls for developing need-based vocational courses for skill development for priority sectors through public-private partnership mode with emphasis on catering to the contemporary needs of the country which has targeted to achieve 500 million skilled people by 2020, officials said.