E-Paper
Now dedicated vocational training too for girls in government secondary schools
In the first phase, a total of 42,440 girls enrolled in classes 9 to 12 in government-run secondary schools of the state would be trained as part of this new initiative.
To make girls getting regular education in secondary schools of Uttar Pradesh self-reliant, they will also be imparted vocational information and skills through special skill development classes now, informed a senior state secondary education department official
In the first phase, a total of 42,440 girls enrolled in classes 9 to 12 in government-run secondary schools of the state would be trained as part of this new initiative, informed the official.
As part of this mission, from the new academic session 2023-24, this training will be given in four specially selected government girls’ secondary schools of Prayagraj district on behalf of the state government, he added.
In the first phase, 560 girl students will be given training for skill development through these vocational classes in the Prayagraj district alone. These vocational courses include IT, home furnishing and apparel. All these classes will be free of cost,” said Skill Development Mission’s Prayagraj Coordinator Chadrakant Singh.
Training institutes have also been selected for this task and the training will begin from the new academic session 2023-24, he added.
According to Singh, skill development classes will start from the new academic session in four government girls’ schools of Prayagraj district under the Uttar Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
“Four Government Girls’ Schools of the district selected for this mission in the first phase include Government Girls Inter College, Civil Lines, Government Girls Inter College, Katra, Government Girls Inter College, Phulpur and Government Girls Inter College Suruvadlapur. In the first phase, 140 girls will be given skill training in every school. For this, the syllabus of all the courses has been prepared by the Sector Skill Council,” he added.
These classes will be run for girl students from classes 9 to 12 only. The duration of these courses will be of 400 hours and after completion of this, the State Skill Development Mission will also provide certificates to the girl students, he explained.
The initiative comes close on the heels of the officials of the state secondary education department issuing orders for efforts to be made to encourage more and more students to take up vocational courses on offer by UP Board. Presently, less than 1% of the total students registering for the class 10 and class 12 exams of UP Board take up these courses every year even as UP Board spends lakhs of rupees on getting the question papers of these subjects made annually.
Director of Secondary Education Mahendra Dev had recently sent a missive to all district inspectors of schools (DIOSs) instructing them to register a maximum number of students possible for these vocational courses, informed a senior state secondary education department official. The vocational education scheme is operational in 892 government and government-aided secondary schools of the state.
Though vocational courses have been available for UP Board students for years now, vocational courses in trades of a plumber, solar-powered equipment repairing, disaster management and electrician were started in 2023 for high school students.
But out of 31,16,454 students who registered for class 10 exams in 2023, not even one took admission in any of these courses. Many other vocational subjects on offer at the high school level also did not fare well like health care which had just four students, automobile which had eight, retail trading which had 19, mobile repairing which had 22 and even IT which attracted mere 38 students across the state.
The number of students enrolling for intermediate-level vocational courses was also very less in 2023.
Out of 27,68,180 Intermediate examinees in 2023, a mere 40,006 opted for vocational subjects including 22,187 boys and 17,819 girls including only 18 examinees in secretary and English Typing course, 19 in beekeeping, 20 in embroidery, 24 in dairy technology, 52 in sericulture and 53 in cooperative across the state. Similarly, there were very few students in other courses as well.
