Education: Vocational courses get extra push

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An additional sum of Rs 8 crore has been allotted for “extracurricular activities such as theatre, music, creative writing and photography”. Also, Rs 100 crore has been set aside to install CCTV cameras in all government schools — which was promised by the government in the last budget as well.

Promoting vocational education in a big way, the government is planning to begin vocational courses in more than 100 “smart career colleges” that will be run by private companies with expertise in various domains.

An additional budget of Rs 50 crore is being set aside to train 50,000 students in vocational skills. The government is also planning to restart its state apprenticeship scheme for giving jobs to the youth. Last year as well, vocationalisation of education in government schools was taken up in a big way with more than Rs 55 crore proposed for it.

Last year, the education sector had seen a 106 per cent rise in expenditure with the government earmarking 9,836 crore for the sector. To address the many problems plaguing its schools, the government had planned to open 236 new schools and recruit 20,000 regular teachers by the end of the year. Sisodia had also said the government would create 50 model schools by providing them with modern infrastructure, which would later be done in all 1,011 schools under the government.

Claiming to have created the “infrastructural equivalent of 442 schools”, Sisodia said the government has already constructed 21 new school buildings, and 8,000 new classrooms are being constructed. “This effectively means infrastructure equivalent to 200 new schools has been added to our government schools. If these schools are used in two shifts, then we have enhanced infrastructural capacity equivalent to 400 schools within a year of government,” said the education minister.

Similarly, the process for recruiting teachers is underway. The government has sanctioned 9,623 teachers’ posts and is recruiting another 5,500 teachers. It will also conduct entrance exams for regularisation of guest teachers.
Like last year, setting up incubation centres to promote innovation and entrepreneurship is high on the government’s priority. While many state-funded colleges will shift to new buildings, the government has, in principle, given its nod for second shift/evening classes in three Delhi University colleges and for new courses in seven government-funded colleges.