A NEW CHAPTER: Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy (second from right) in discussion with the department officials at the foundation-stone laying ceremony for the proposed training centre at the Pre-University Board building in Bangalore on Monday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: Urged by the Planning Commission to take vocational education seriously for solving unemployment, the Department of Primary and Secondary Education had decided to admit failed SSLC students to vocational training courses.

Every year, over two lakh students failed in SSLC examination faced bleak future. They are at a disadvantage in the job market and cannot get into job-oriented courses. The order will be a boon to such students.

A boy or a girl who has failed in SSLC examination could work as an electrician, a housekeeper or even a receptionist in a hotel now that the department had relaxed the qualification this year.

This was announced by the department secretary T.M. Vijaya Bhaskar at a function to lay the foundation stone for the fourth floor of the Pre-University Directorate building in Malleswaram here on Monday.

When completed after eight months, Vocational Education Directorate would function from the fourth floor. Replying to a suggestion by Higher Education Minister D.H. Shankaramurthy, who laid the foundation stone that the failed SSLC students should be given vocational training, Mr. Vijaya Bhaskar said the Government had in fact issued orders for admitting them to the courses. The Minister said the country lacked skilled workers such as plumbers, electricians, masons, carpenters and tailors. Only those who were doing these works by hereditary did not require any training.

Admitting that vocational training was neglected, the Secretary said there were only 10,000 institutions imparting vocational education in the country. They are conducting training in hardly 30 job-oriented courses. In China, there were five lakh vocational training institutes and the students were getting training in 4,000 courses. Some Indian investors were starting manufacturing industries in China utilising the skilled work force availability in that country, he added.

Mr. Vijaya Bhaskar said the manufacturing industry was facing acute shortage of skilled work force. It was not enough if the country made progress in the information technology industry and service sector.

The official told presspersons that there were 90,000 seats in various vocational training institutions, but hardly 40,000, who passed the SSLC examination would register leaving the other 50,000 seats unfilled. There was a need for a two-year training course for tailoring and this had been reduced. A few of the failed students might take to crime, if they were not guided properly.

M.R. Sitaram, MLA, presided over the function. Commissioner of Pre-University Education and Special Officer of the Common Entrance Test S.G. Hegde and K.P. Murthy, Member, Working Group of the Knowledge Commission on Vocational Education, were present.

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