Policy Perspective

Mahatma Gandhi in late 1930, visualised basic education (Buniyadi Shiksha) as a basic tool for the development of National consciousness and reconstruction of the society. His concept of education throughout life, work and environment was a new contribution to the philosophy of education, which has now been accepted universally.

The Secondary Education Commission (Mudaliar Commission,1952-‘53) put forward the idea of multipurpose school and recommended a 11 year pattern of school education for offering diversification after 8 years of schooling by providing training in various crafts/ vocations. The Commission felt that at the end of this, a student should be in a position to take up some vocation and enter the world of work.The Kothari Commission (1964-‘66) suggested the restructuring of education into a uniform pattern of 10+2+3 education all over the country, implying 10 years of undifferentiated education for all, with diversification into academic and vocational streams at the +2 level.

The NCERT document entitled "Higher Secondary Education and its Vocationalisation" (1976) emphasised that internal restructuring and modification of contents in education is required for establishment of strong linkages between education and other concerned sectors involved in developmental process.

The National Working Group on Vocationalisation of Education (Kulandaiswamy Committee,1985 ) reviewed the Vocational Education Programme in the country and developed guidelines for the expansion of the programme. Its recommendations led to the development of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) on Vocationalisation of Secondary Education. The Committee also suggested that Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) may assume the form of training in "life skills" and should, therefore, be given pre-vocational orientation.

The National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986 advocated introduction of systematic and well planned vocational educational programmes, which can be rigorously implemented to enhance employability, reduce the mis-match between demand and supply of skilled manpower and to provide and alternative to those pursuing tertiary education, without particular interest or purpose. The adoption of the NPE and its Programme of Action (1986, revised in 1992) and the CSS on Vocationalisation of Secondary Education (1988) led to the nation wide coverage of the VEP.

The NCERT has brought out a Discussion Document on National Curriculum Framework for School Education (January,2000), with a view to initiate a nation wide debate on all major issues related to the curriculum at different stages of school education. The document also contains the policy dimensions and suggestions for restructuring of the curriculum of vocational education at different stages of school education.