<p>Paradoxically, this comes at a time when the stress is on industry-oriented courses. <br />The JOCs were introduced 33 years ago to train mainly rural students in developing skills in dairy farming, sericulture, pisciulture, poultry, electricals, automobile, nursery and other vocations. They were introduced when unemployment was a major issue. <br /><br />The courses helped the academically and economically poor rural youth, usually those who scored less in SSLC and the equivalent exams, to become self-reliant.<br /><br />For example, students trained in automobiles would get employment in automobile workshops and earn a decent living; many trained in computer courses would become computer operators. <br /><br />When started in 1980s, the two-year course trained the youth in more than 20 job-oriented courses. However, the State government decided to discontinue the course since the previous academic year when over 3,000 JOC lecturers demanded regularisation of their services. The senior officials of the education department were reluctant to fulfil the demand as they thought the move would cost a fortune for the State Exchequer, alleged some of the JOC lecturers. <br /><br />The Government deputed the JOC lecturers and students to other related departments. <br />L Nagaraj, a retired director of the Department of Vocational Education, said that there were certain flaws in syllabi and lack of infrastructure for vocational training. Courses such as poultry and fisheries required poultry farms or ponds which the colleges couldn’t facilitate.<br /><br />“There were no permanent teaching staff, a syllabus nor a proper teaching methodology. The JOCs lacked both technical and teaching resources. There was no point in continuing the course.”<br /><br />However, the JOC lecturers feel that the Government could have addressed these issues as discontinuing the courses that economically empowered rural youth, was not a good solution.</p>
<p>Paradoxically, this comes at a time when the stress is on industry-oriented courses. <br />The JOCs were introduced 33 years ago to train mainly rural students in developing skills in dairy farming, sericulture, pisciulture, poultry, electricals, automobile, nursery and other vocations. They were introduced when unemployment was a major issue. <br /><br />The courses helped the academically and economically poor rural youth, usually those who scored less in SSLC and the equivalent exams, to become self-reliant.<br /><br />For example, students trained in automobiles would get employment in automobile workshops and earn a decent living; many trained in computer courses would become computer operators. <br /><br />When started in 1980s, the two-year course trained the youth in more than 20 job-oriented courses. However, the State government decided to discontinue the course since the previous academic year when over 3,000 JOC lecturers demanded regularisation of their services. The senior officials of the education department were reluctant to fulfil the demand as they thought the move would cost a fortune for the State Exchequer, alleged some of the JOC lecturers. <br /><br />The Government deputed the JOC lecturers and students to other related departments. <br />L Nagaraj, a retired director of the Department of Vocational Education, said that there were certain flaws in syllabi and lack of infrastructure for vocational training. Courses such as poultry and fisheries required poultry farms or ponds which the colleges couldn’t facilitate.<br /><br />“There were no permanent teaching staff, a syllabus nor a proper teaching methodology. The JOCs lacked both technical and teaching resources. There was no point in continuing the course.”<br /><br />However, the JOC lecturers feel that the Government could have addressed these issues as discontinuing the courses that economically empowered rural youth, was not a good solution.</p>
