Skill training for class 9 and 11 drop-outs in Delhi govt schools

Around 34,000 class 9 and 11 students who dropped out of Delhi government schools in the 2018-19 academic session will get a chance to opt for free vocational training in a field of their choice. Following the completion of the training, the trainees will receive certificates and placement opportunities.

The pilot project will be managed by the Delhi unit of Samagra Shiksha (SS) in collaboration with the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) and Department of Training and Technical Education (DTTE).

The Union government’s Samagra Shiksha scheme is a holistic education programme functioning across the country, within the respective states’ education departments.

“Vocational training, in a field of their choice, will provide these children with a respectable way to catch up on lost education, equip them with necessary skills and increase their employability for improved livelihoods,” read a circular released earlier this month signed by Rajanish Kumar Singh, special project director (SS). HT has a copy of the circular.

The pilot project, a first of its kind under Samagra Shiksha, aims to reach out to 27,970 class 9 students, and 6,755 class 11 students who dropped out in the 2018-19 academic session.

Kavita Rana, Assistant Project Director, Samagra Shiksha said, “Since the class 9 and 11 results for the previous academic session were delayed, we are starting the pilot project with these students. These children will also be in the appropriate age group for employment and internships. Once we are able to get these children skill training, we will expand the scope to all children above 14 years of age who have dropped out of school.”

The vocational training programmes offered by these institutes include courses from the garments sector, such as tailoring or stitching; beautician courses; IT sector programmes offering computer training, web-design and data-entry courses; healthcare sector programmes like nursing courses, and others.

“We had asked schools to contact children by Monday and forward the data to district offices. Once we have the compiled data, we plan to hold a meeting with DTTE and NULM to go ahead with the project,” Rana said. As per the circular, the meeting, scheduled for August 24, will also explore the feasibility of setting up vocational labs in schools for dropouts.

Mary Jyotsna Minj, principal of a Delhi government school for girls in New Kondli, welcomed the initiative, and said it would offer scopes for children who may not opt for academics.

“It was difficult to compile data during the pandemic, since many students have left the city and we don’t know where they are. The goal is to start getting children on board at least. They will need to be motivated to bring them back into the mainstream. But there is hope for all dropouts, especially girls.”

Sarbjeet Kaur, the Educational and Vocational Guidance Counsellor (EVGC) at Minj’s school, said, “We pulled out old registers to get in touch with students. In our school, of 80 students, we were able to track only 60. Among these, many either moved back to their hometowns outside Delhi or are married, or are not keen on joining the course for other reasons.”

Schools have also been asked to constitute outreach teams consisting of EVGCs who can help these children opt for the right skill training, based on their aptitude.