The aim of education is to develop our all-round personality to improve our body, mind and character. There are educationists who lay stress on the broad, cultural type of education. They want students to have the training of the mind.
Then there are others, especially parents, who educate their children and wards so that they may be able to earn a decent livelihood. The thinker’s politicians, planners and educationists of our country all are in favour of a self-supporting system of education.
They agree that education should be work-oriented and related to the needs and genius of the country. In short, education should not only impart knowledge but also fulfil the changing and developing needs of society.
The new pattern of education as decided by the Central Advisory Board of Education is 10+2+3. In this pattern vocationalisation of education at the secondary stage, i.e., after the class VIII is its essential and important feature.
This means that in classes IX and X there will be two streams: (a) academic and (b) vocational. The objectives and course of study for the two streams will be different.
The vocational courses taught will supplement the vocational education imparted by I.T.Is., polytechnics, women’s polytechnics and other vocational schools such as agricultural, commercial and para-medical schools of high and higher secondary standards.
The aim of vocation in life. The courses taught are thus for some vocation in life. The courses taught are thus terminal in character. But provision is there to change from one course to another in two years.
Each and every student who opts for vocational education shall have to choose a vocation out of the following: agriculture including animal husbandry and fishery, industry, trade and commerce, public services such as secretariat insurance, banking marketing, para-medical etc.
After finishing their vocational course for two years, students will be in a position to enter life. As they have knowledge training and practical experience of their vocation they would be in a position to earn their living.
In classes IX and X as also in the three-year degree course there will be available advanced vocational courses in addition to general education Work experience will form an important part of education up to class X.
It will include such works as servicing and maintenance of electronic gadgets and musical instruments, bee-keeping, basic engineering (wood work and mechanical), leather work, poultry, agriculture, gardening, tailoring, print ing, toy-making, typewriting, masonry work etc.
Thus the chief aim of vocational education is to make students productive, usefully self-employed and self-dependent.
