Time to embrace skilling-with-schooling approach in spirit
Time to embrace skilling-with-schooling approach in spirit
Time to embrace skilling with schooling – India’s education system is vast, encompassing over 24.7 crore students in 14.71 lakh schools, supported by more than one crore teachers. Despite its scale, a significant challenge persists: more than 11% of children leave their studies before completing secondary education. This trend is particularly pronounced in states like West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam, where dropout rates highlight a gap between academic engagement and long-term career readiness.
Shifting focus beyond foundational learning
In recent years, India has prioritized foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) for Grade III through programs such as the NIPUN Bharat Mission. While these efforts are crucial, they alone cannot unlock the full potential of the country’s demographic dividend. To thrive in a rapidly evolving economy driven by automation, AI, and data, students must develop practical skills that enable adaptability, innovation, and collaboration.
Education systems must now evolve to cultivate vocational competencies alongside academic knowledge. This approach not only enhances employability but also empowers students to navigate complex industries. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a pivotal step in this direction, redefining vocational education as an essential component of learning from middle school through to higher secondary levels.
Historical context and policy evolution
Vocational training has long been a focal point in India’s educational discourse. From the 1952 Secondary Education Commission, known as the Mudaliar Commission, to the 1986 National Policy on Education, successive frameworks have emphasized the need for skill development. However, vocational education remained confined to higher grades and those who exited early, creating a divide between academic and practical pathways.
The NEP 2020 seeks to bridge this gap by advocating for exposure to multiple vocations starting at the secondary level. Its goal is to ensure every student acquires at least one vocation, fostering a holistic education that aligns with market demands.
Current initiatives and progress
Recent efforts under the National Credit Framework are creating structured transitions from school to skill development and employment. Boards like CBSE and several state authorities have introduced pre-vocational education in elementary stages, acting as a bridge between basic learning and future career choices.
Programs such as the Samagra Shiksha scheme are mainstreaming vocational training across government and aided schools. Students from Classes VI to VIII gain introductory exposure, while Classes IX to XII offer NSQF-aligned courses. These include digital and financial literacy, internships, field visits, and hands-on learning through industry partnerships. Initiatives like PM SHRI schools are showcasing models that integrate skills into the core curriculum.
At Bharti Airtel Foundation, through both the Satya Bharti School Programme and our partnerships with government schools, we are working to embed vocational learning into the educational framework, ensuring students are equipped with relevant competencies from an early stage.
Challenges to overcome
Despite these strides, vocational education remains marginalized within the school system. It is often viewed as optional or reserved for students deemed academically less capable. Social stigma further hinders its adoption, with many seeing it as a secondary option rather than an essential part of education.
Additional barriers include inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of trained instructors, and limited industry collaboration. The lack of comprehensive data also complicates efforts to measure effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Without repositioning vocational learning as a central, market-oriented pathway, the vision of a skill-integrated education system remains incomplete.
Now, the focus must shift to integrating vocational education into the core structure of schooling. It should be treated as a recognized stream of learning, not an add-on. With existing linkages to internships and industry partnerships, the opportunity to transform education into a dynamic, career-focused system is within reach.