Vocational and skill-based subjects are struggling to attract students in Delhi’s government schools, with several institutions reporting minimal to zero enrollment in these courses. School officials cite inadequate teacher training and a lack of student interest as primary reasons for the poor uptake.
Last month, the Directorate of Education (DoE) issued show-cause notices to 606 government schools across the city for their low enrollment in vocational subjects. “This is a very serious matter as it has resulted in deprivation of benefits of vocational education to students and under-utilization of resources,” the notice stated.
The Directorate of Education has ordered schools with fewer than 20 students enrolled in any vocational course to explain the low enrollment, propose strategies to increase student interest, and submit a detailed report to the Vocational Education Branch within 15 days.
A news investigation found that out of the 606 schools flagged by the DoE, at least 16 had no students enrolled in vocational courses like Beauty and Wellness, IT/ITes, Healthcare, Food Production, and Travel and Tourism. Other subjects, such as automotive, retail, web application, and typography, also had fewer than 20 students enrolled in several schools.
Several teachers and principals expressed concerns over the lack of adequate teacher training and awareness about these subjects. Ajay Kumar Choubey, Principal of Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Rouse Avenue, pointed out that the root of the problem lies with the educators. “While policies are in place to encourage students to choose vocational subjects, the lack of interest originates from the teachers themselves. They are unable to effectively communicate the importance of these courses, which is resulting in low enrollment,” Choubey stated.
Choubey emphasized that the lack of student interest in vocational subjects is partly due to inadequate teacher training. “Our teachers are not sufficiently trained to understand and effectively teach these subjects in the classroom,” he noted. “We need to establish a system that provides proper training to ensure higher enrollment in these skill-based courses.”
In March 2023, the Directorate of Education (DoE) mandated that all students in Classes IX and X must choose vocational subjects starting from the 2023-24 academic year. This directive, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aims to break down the social stigma associated with vocational education by integrating it into mainstream education.
At the secondary level, vocational subjects are offered as additional options to help students improve their overall results and pass their classes without needing to sit for compartment exams. At the senior secondary level, these subjects are offered as compulsory electives.
A Delhi government school teacher, who requested anonymity, remarked, “The improvement that we have been seeing in the overall board exam results of government schools is because of the introduction of these vocational subjects. If a student fails in one of the main subjects, the marks of vocational subjects are taken into account. If there is low enrollment of students in these subjects across a certain school, that could be a serious problem.”
The situation underscores the need for better teacher training and increased awareness among students to ensure the successful implementation of vocational education, which is critical to preparing students for a diverse range of career opportunities.
