Core subject tough? opt for vocational training instead

Students dropping out of classes is an issue that bothers the government. Some, in search of a job and the others as they find studies difficult. However, the state now seems to have proposed a solution to addressing both the issues.

The department of Primary and Secondary Education will soon give students an option to swap one of their core subjects with a vocational training course.

If a student in a conventional school finds a core subject tough and has been consistently showing poor performance over the years, he or she can drop the subject and opt for a vocational training course. At present, in 150 schools across the state where the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) training is being offered on a pilot basis, students are being given a choice to opt out of third language and take up this training.

This time, however, the state is going one step further and giving students an option to drop out of core subjects.

Shalini Rajaneesh, principal secretary, department of primary and secondary education, said, “This option will be given to students from higher primary onward up to PU. While the ground work will be completed this year, students will be provided this option starting next year onwards.”

She said this option will be made available for students in both government and private schools. “We have an assessment through National Achievement Survey and State Achievement Survey, through which we identify students not doing well in traditional subjects. At least one of these weak subjects can be opted out of.”

The National Institute of Open Schooling is offering registration facility to the state. Out of the 103 courses that NIOS offers, the department will choose five correspondence courses.

These will be offered on a correspondence basis and practical classes will be conducted. These are 10-month courses. The curriculum is offered in Kannada as well.

Students who are mentally challenged will be given apprenticeship, instead of training. “For instance, someone with mental retardation or autism can take up jobs mostly monotonous and do well at it,” she said.