Vocational courses key to inclusive education

NEW DELHI - As inclusive education remains high on the government’s agenda, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal Tuesday pitched for vocational education as a key to achieving the goal.

“Vocational education is a means of empowerment of children through imparting skills. This will lead to inclusive education,” Sibal said at a function here to launch a new course in hospitality for class 11 and 12 students.

The Central Board for Secondary Education Tuesday signed an MoU with National Council for Hotel Management for starting two courses in Food Production and Food and Beverages Services. Two other courses on media studies and geographic information system were launched Monday.

“Strengthening of vocational education is required in order to take advantage of the demographic dividend of the country. It is a means to give skill orientation to students passing senior secondary school and those who are not able to go to college,” the minister said.

Sibal also said that the ministry is in dialogue with the private sector for providing training related to the hospitality course to students.

“We are in dialogue with the hotel’s association and may soon sign an MoU with them for providing practical training to the students for these fields,” Sibal said.

The minister added that dialogue will also be held with universities to enable a seamless transition of these students from the senior secondary level to the undergraduate level.

–Indo Asian News Service