Are skills getting priority in our education system ?

So far, the education system in India was more focussed on giving diplomas and degrees. Now, the New Education Policy has come up with a skill-based model of education. This has brought vocational courses under spotlight, which seek to make the youth skilful, employable and self-reliant. The Hans India has elicited the views of youth, educationists and the society on the importance of skill development in education.

Skill development going to be defining factor for India's growth

Education is important, at the same time identifying and showing the skills are mandatory in this fourth Industrial revolution. The worth of degrees is being questioned now, more than ever before; with technology disrupting the way we learn and transitioning the way we apply our knowledge. Many companies are still scout through degrees for a potential employee's abilities, but there is a dynamic shift among some corporates to develop new ways of gauging employability by fostering the unique capabilities of the students. No doubt the skill development is the need of the hour, but need to focus on identifying the hidden talent from the individual is going to be the key factor. Despite having a growing population, there is still a considerable gap between education and employability. Lifelong learning is essential for career advancement, professional growth, and keeping up with industry changes and trends. Skill development is one of the essential ingredients for India's future economic growth as the country transforming into a diversified and internationally-competitive economy .Building on existing competencies and experience, individuals may up skill or re-skill, depending on their goals. Those interested in growing within a chosen field may up skill to deepen knowledge or learn new competencies to become experts in their profession. Others who want to make a career with a new technology will re-skill or learn new competencies that build on transferrable skills. Skill development is going to be the defining element in India's growth story.

-Prof B Vishnu Vardhan, Principal, JNTUH University College of Engineering Manthani, Karimnagar

Skill development should be part of students' curriculum

Students can grab the opportunities if and only if they have the required qualification and skill set. There is a gap between academic studies and industries as the curriculum of present degrees is more theoretical and less practical. This problem must be addressed by introducing practical oriented syllabus at levels of education starting from high school level. As per my knowledge, vocational education should be part and parcel of high school education so that students can acquire the required skills when they enter into diplomas/ degrees will help them to settle in suitable positions.

-Narender Babu, Government Employee, Nalgonda

Paradigm shift is needed

Our Educational system moulded by Mc Caulay in 1856 focuses only on churning out white collared babus, clerks, since centuries. We are paying the price today of not having any skill based personnel in spite of doctorates. Skill based education should be started from the high school pre university. And later they should be having a wide range of choices. Ex Electrical installations, carpentry, plumbing, computer based skills including cyber security, Banking , legal formalities for citizens cardio pulmonary resuscitation driving etc.The courses like medicine and engineering should be more skill based right from day 1.So a paradigm shift is needed.

-Dr Achanta Vivekanand, Dean prof Hod OBGY Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences, Karimnagar

Our education system needs makeover

Our education system is not skill oriented at the school and intermediate level. And for the students to get hands on experience, I feel that it is very important to bring in drastic changes in our education policy. Currently, the school and intermediate curriculums are mostly knowledge oriented and students are asked to mug up the stuff and reproduce the same in the examination. This will not help them gain any kind of skills that is needed for them to excel in the outside world. I feel, our education policies makers must gradually bring in reforms in our education system and ensure that skill oriented courses are taught right from the school level. So that the students will gain not just knowledge, but they will be able to get them placed rightly into the jobs once they complete their education.

-Balalingaiah, Senior Teacher from Velkicherla ZPHS, Bhootpur

Students should be taught skill development right from school

Definitely, the present education system and the courses that we are teaching in the classrooms to the students are not skill oriented. Most of the courses at School, Intermediate and Degree level are only knowledge based. This is not going to help the students to fetch their careers and once they are out of their education system they are struggling to get into jobs and even if they succeed in getting jobs, most of them struggle hard to get trained and by the time they get the basic skills at their work places it would have been too long. But, as the present industry, is looking for students with hands on skills, it is very important that our courses must be designed in such a way that the students get their professional skills right at the school, college and degree level, so that once they go out they can easily get absorbed into the industry and can take up their works without any hassles.

-Vijeta Venkat Reddy, Director of Vagdevi Junior college, Mahabubnagar