Few observations from the report:
1. The report fails to sufficiently contextualize India’s skilling efforts within global trends. The report mentions a few courses like Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the middle level, but there is little critical examination of how India’s curriculum aligns with the aggressive global push towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education.
2. The report, despite being focused on "skilling in schools," diverges into providing descriptive accounts of the schemes without critically examining the outcomes. For instance, it elaborates on the initiatives by various government bodies but provides insufficient analysis of whether these initiatives have resulted in substantial improvement in employability. The report includes statistical data on vocational education participation, but fails to discuss whether these efforts have kept pace with emerging job markets in sectors like technology, green energy, and digital economy.
3. The report suffers from significant omissions. First, the discussion on the employment outcomes of vocational education is shallow. It points out that a large number of students opt for courses in IT/ITeS but doesn’t explore why nearly 40% of them remain outside the labor force. There is little exploration into whether the curriculum aligns with industry demands or whether students are being trained in outdated skills.
4. The report is limited in its vision and fails to present innovative or futuristic strategies to tackle vocational education challenges. While it offers some recommendations, such as organizing awareness campaigns, they are somewhat traditional and don’t suggest long-term transformations in the education system.
5. The report appears to overly praise government efforts without providing a balanced, critical assessment. Initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and Skill India Mission are discussed positively, but their inefficiencies or challenges are not adequately addressed.
6. The research undertaken appears superficial and lacks depth in many critical areas. There’s an over-reliance on secondary data, and the analysis of primary data through surveys is also limited. For example, the findings of the primary survey report a lack of student interest in vocational courses, but the report fails to delve into why this disinterest exists or how the system can make vocational education more appealing. Moreover, the methodology itself isn’t robust or innovative. For instance, while the report makes several recommendations, they are generic and do not seem to stem from rigorous data analysis or fieldwork.
7. The report heavily focuses on CBSE schools, omitting other educational boards and their skilling initiatives. Given India’s diverse educational ecosystem, this narrow scope limits the relevance of its findings and recommendations.
To make the school-level skilling programmes more effective in meeting their goals, it is important to enhance the quality and relevance of skills taught in schools and measure learning outcomes and their impact on the pathways to work and further education.
Read study led by NCAER faculty Poonam Munjal and her co-authors.
https://bit.ly/4gUz4xd
