9. Vocational Education

Vocational Education

Vocational Education prepares students for different kinds of ‘work’. It enables the learning of specific knowledge, capacities, and values, such that the students upon finishing school, are ready to work in a vocation of their choice, and to deal with the day-to-day practicalities of life. School education must provide both possibilities to all students – to join the workforce or to pursue higher education.

Work provides not only economic sustenance for the individual and contribution to the economy but is also a significant part of a meaningful and dignified life for human beings. In the Foundational and Preparatory Stages, multiple capacities will be developed through play and other activities, which will subsequently be useful in vocations. These capacities are termed prevocational capacities.

In the Middle Stage, exposure to a wide range of work will be given to students. This will equip them to achieve capacities (including specific skills) in a vocation of their choice in the Secondary Stage and help them progress towards gainful employment and contribute meaningfully to the economy.

Section 9.1

Approach to Vocational Education

Schools must provide students with a broad and experiential introduction to different kinds of work and develop a deep and defined set of practical Competencies. Students must also learn to value all types of work based on the inherent dignity of all work, and the social hierarchies of work need to be eliminated.

Vocational Education will also draw from and build on the Competencies developed in other Curricular Areas. For example, Mathematics for calculations and estimations, Social Science to understand the place of work in society and production chains, and Science to understand how things work and how their functioning can be improved. Thus, it is complementary to and builds on other Curricular Areas and is not an isolated area.

9.1.1 Objectives of Approach to Vocational Education

The approach to Vocational Education in this NCF aims to achieve the following objectives:

a. Vocational capacities, knowledge, and relevant values will be developed for all students, and this will create the possibility of their joining the workforce after school if they choose to.

b. Provide the possibility of learning range of vocations – ones that are aspirational, as also those that are most relevant locally and contextually (if different), also new and emerging vocations.

c. Provide exposure to various types of work to all students establishing the dignity of work.

d. Should be implementable with the current reality and resourcing of our schools, while providing a pathway to the future.

e. Must value the work that many of the children of India already do in their homes and communities. While the first of the above stated objectives will be elaborated through this chapter, the other four objectives are described below:

9.1.1.1 Aspirational to Locally Relevant; and for the Future - Education for a Range of Vocations

Given the extraordinary range of vocations that are available today and also the new vocations being created, the choice of ‘which vocations to educate for’ is very important. Schools and the education system must be able to address different kinds of demands which would inform this matter. Some vocations are more aspirational than others. On the other hand, some vocations may have greater opportunities for employment around. Often, the aspirational vocations are different from the ones that may have greater employment opportunities locally or in the vicinity.

Hence, the choice of which vocations to educate for must be made at the local level, perhaps the school or the district – considering these factors. The NCF enables these choices to be made * *appropriately by considering all the relevant factors for a school, including resourcing. Such an enabling framework also gives the flexibility to add new vocations as they emerge.

9.1.1.2 Dignity of Work and Wide-Ranging Exposure

While in the Secondary Stage students must learn specific vocations to get employed if they so choose, the earlier Stages must build the foundation for a range of vocations. This will be enabled by ensuring that all students are exposed to the entire range of vocations from the primary sector including agriculture to machines and manufacturing, to various services including community health. Such wide exposure not only creates the base for the choice of vocations subsequently but also establishes the dignity of all types of work.

Such wide exposure is also important because, for many students, experience of work is very limited to what they see around them. For example, in many rural areas, they will have no exposure to machines or services. On the other hand, children in large cities will have no exposure to land-based vocations.

9.1.1.3 Valuing Students Existing Work Experience

Millions of our children are already engaged in some kind of work. This is often within their homes and/or in their communities. They help on the farms or in the orchards or help with the care of their siblings or cook at home. Such life experience is invaluable and must find its due place in the school. Students who are already engaged in such work would benefit substantially more if School Education provides them exposure to other kinds of work. The knowledge and capacities that such students bring to the classroom can be used as a resource.

9.1.1.4 Implementable in Current Reality

As per NEP 2020, vocational education is to be integrated into School Education. This NCF enables that by providing an approach such that vocational education can be integrated within schools within the constraints of existing Teacher force and resources. For this, the NCF has developed appropriate Learning Standards which can be transacted by existing Teachers (who currently teach Mathematics, Science or Social Science) with appropriate training and handbooks. They will also be trained to use the support of people from local communities who have expertise in certain vocations. In the secondary stage, specialised Teachers will be required depending on the vocations that the schools want to teach.

9.1.2 Distinguishing between Vocational Education and Skills Training

As mentioned earlier in the NCF capacities are broader, deeper, and more complex human abilities, while skills are narrower and more focussed.

Most capacities are constituted by many skills. In other words, many skills are required to develop a capacity. For example – critical thinking is a capacity, while sorting data is a skill which is part of critical thinking. Appropriate irrigation of crops is a capacity, which requires the skills of reading the landform and its slopes, trenching and constructing channels, and understanding how much and when to water. Vocational Education focusses on capacities relevant to particular vocations, however, a vocation requires more than capacities, which is why vocational education is also about developing the appropriate knowledge base and values. For example – the vocation of ‘grooming and personal

Capacities and Skills In this NCF, we are distinguishing capacities from skills by the level of breadth and complexity. Capacities are broader human abilities that combine a variety of skills in a coherent manner to accomplish a complex job. Skills, on the other hand, are narrower know how to complete a specific task. For example, cooking is a capacity, while cleaning, cutting, frying, and sauteing are skills.

9.1.3 Typology of Vocations for this NCF: ‘Forms of Work’

The NCF has to reconcile two requirements. One, it must not (and cannot) determine which vocations must be taught and learnt in a particular school or set of schools – because there are too many vocations and too many considerations at the local level. Two, it must be able to provide

a framework to educate students for Vocational Education. This reconciliation is possible with a valid and useful typology of work, which in this NCF is called ‘forms of work.’

• The vocations that have some fundamentally common elements are grouped together into the same type.

• They require similar or overlapping capacities and knowledge. New vocations that are created of the same type will continue to require similar capacities and knowledge. This grouping would help develop a broad base of capacities for productive work from Grades 3-8, with greater specialisation in Grades 9-10 and specialised occupational capacities in Grades 11 and 12.

This NCF uses ‘forms of work’ as a guiding concept for designing the curriculum.

Productive work at its most fundamental level can be divided into three categories – work with life forms, work with materials and machines, and work on providing human services.

a. Work with Life Forms: Right from the time of hunting and gathering to a more settled life of animal husbandry and agriculture, human beings have used their capacities to work with life forms to not just survive, but also to produce an adequate surplus to live a life of thought and reflection. Thus, the capacity to do productive work with plants and animals is fundamental to human survival and flourishing.

b. Work with Materials and Machines: The second significant achievement in human progress is our ability to use materials and machines in simple to very sophisticated ways. Be it for food, clothing, and shelter to meet our basic necessities or for far more complex ways to satisfy our curiosity and creativity, we have developed tools and machinery. Thus, the capacity to do productive work with materials and machines is fundamental to engaging with complex modern life.

c. Work in Human Services: Starting from trade and transport to media and entertainment, we have created different services that have allowed us to cooperate well beyond our kinship groups. These services have improved our lives tremendously well beyond what agriculture or industry could provide. Thus, the development of capacities to work in human services is truly relevant in this age of global exchange.

The school curriculum at the Preparatory and Middle Stages would endeavour to build relevant capacities in these three forms of work. As we can easily observe, these forms of work not only provide the necessary breadth in capacities for productive work, but they also become the foundation for developing capacities in vocations in primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the economy, thus meaningfully contributing to the aim of economic participation. In the Secondary Stage of four years, the first two years would be towards consolidating these capacities to develop transferable skills that serve students well in any vocation. In the last two years of schooling in the Secondary Stage, students will be given opportunities to specialise in specific vocations of their choice.

In addition, the skill training ecosystem should take off from where the schools leave. This ecosystem should ensure that a wide variety of skills courses are available for those students who want to enter the job market immediately after school certification.

It must be noted that the capacities (and embedded skills) for Vocational Education must be deeply integrated with the other capacities, knowledge, and values that school education develops. For example, critical thinking, communication, and learning-to-learn – capacities that overall school education is to develop – are equally important in the world of work. In fact, in the unfolding scenario of ever more rapid changes across the world, not only in employment opportunities, but in the very nature of work, these fundamental capacities and knowledge base gained from school education must form the foundation for lifelong learning, which is what will enable a lifetime of gainful and fulfilling employment.

9.1.4 Other Specific Considerations

Along with the choice of vocations to be offered, the resources and materials required, and pedagogical and assessment approaches, the following are some important considerations for the Vocational Education curriculum.

a. Age-appropriate: The approach to Vocational Education must be age-appropriate. It will start from developing general capacities for work (or prevocational capacities) and move to more specific capacities for particular kinds of work. To elaborate, in the Foundational Stage, students will experience immersion in work through ‘doing’ and ‘creating.’ In the Preparatory Stage, this approach will continue, but students will also become familiar with local occupations, and factors related to participation and equality. In the Middle Stage, this understanding will become formalised with the introduction of a separate Curricular Area. At this Stage, students will develop capacities in different forms of work. In the Secondary Stage, students will have opportunities to choose one or more vocations for specialisation.

b. As localised as possible: As far as possible, the content, materials, and machinery necessary for developing vocational capacities must be relevant to the local context and be locally available.

c. Aspirational: At the same time, students’ aspirations must also be met through helping them learn vocations beyond those currently available in their village/town/city. This would require a range of vocations to be offered to meet the changing needs of both the economy and the aspirations of young adults.

d. Exposure to different kinds of work: Students must be deliberately exposed to the different forms of work so that they have the basic capacities for work in breadth. This makes them adaptable to the changing needs of the economy. Schools must also take into account the work that students do at home and ensure that they get exposure to other kinds of work not available in their home contexts (e.g., if a student works on land at home, the school must ensure that she spends most of her time in engaging with manufacturing and services).

e. Equity considerations: Existing social inequities must be consciously addressed. The school should avoid identifying particular types of work to specific communities or gender. Instead, the school must encourage engagement with different types of work for all students, irrespective of their home background and gender.

f. Value for working with hands: Vocational Education offers an opportunity for all students to learn how to ‘do’ something with their hands and learn to value it. Education is incomplete without these experiences. So far, opting for a vocational course has meant that the student is either economically ‘poor’ or a ‘poor performer’ in school. This will change with this NCF – with all students participating in Vocational Education, school education will function as an equaliser, and not a reproducer of inequity.

Section 9.2

Aims

Work is an important part of life. It prepares individuals to deal with practical things related to daily life and economic participation. Vocational Education enables students to develop basic capacities in different kinds of work to identify what they would like to pursue in order to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life. It prepares them to contribute meaningfully to the economy while providing for themselves livelihoods and sustenance. It also equips them to contribute effectively to work at home.

KRCR 2019 states that

This policy aims to overcome the social status hierarchy associated with vocational education and requires integration of vocational education programmes into mainstream education in all educational institutions in a phased manner. Beginning with vocational exposure at early ages in middle and secondary school, quality vocational education will be integrated smoothly into higher education. It will ensure that every child learns at least one vocation and is exposed to several more. This would lead to emphasising the dignity of labour and importance of various vocations involving Indian art and artisanship.

With this context, the aims of Vocational Education are:

a. Developing understanding and basic capacities for different forms of work: Students will develop a broad-based understanding of different forms of work, which will equip them to successfully manage their personal affairs. This will also equip them to identify, create, and initiate business, work, and community opportunities.

b. Preparation for specific vocations: Students will develop capacities to be gainfully employed in one or more specific vocations after leaving school.

c. Respect for the dignity of labour and all vocations: Students will develop respect for the dignity of labour through the acquisition of positive attitudes towards work and the workplace.

d. Developing values and dispositions related to work: Students will develop persistence and focus, curiosity and creativity, empathy and sensitivity, and collaboration and teamwork. They will be willing to do physical work and will pay keen attention to details.

Through these aims, schools will develop vocational knowledge, capacities, and dispositions in students, giving them livelihood opportunities, as well as enabling them to contribute and participate in the economy of the country.

The aims of many other subjects, for example, Language , Physical Education and Well-being, Science and Social Science, and Mathematics, are directly complementary to the aims of Vocational Education, and these form the larger set together, thus enabling a lifetime of fulfilling work.

These complementary aims, for all these subjects together and independently, include the development of critical thinking, capacity for inquiry, scientific temper, the capacities for communication and collaboration, creativity, adaptability, learning to learn, emotional and ethical capacities, initiative and resilience, a strong work ethic, sound knowledge of the immediate physical and social world, and more.

It is useful to note that many of these capacities and dispositions are sometimes referred to as ‘21st Century Skills’, and in other contexts as ‘soft skills.

Section 9.3

Stage-wise Design

9.3.1 Foundational and Preparatory Stages — Developing

Prevocational Capacities In the Foundational and Preparatory Stages, the focus is on developing prevocational capacities and not on the needs of specific jobs.

9.3.1.1 Foundational Stage

a. In this Stage, an integrated approach has been taken where ‘work skills’ (e.g., children learn to complete their tasks, children learn to take care of the material they use) are learnt through the regular classroom process.

b. The focus on physical development and motor skills through movement and exercise, working and completing a task, and play-based education enables the development of age-appropriate prevocational capacities in the Foundational Stage.

c. One of the important Curricular Goals at this Stage is also for children to develop a positive attitude towards productive work and service or Seva.

9.3.1.2 Preparatory Stage

a. Vocational Education is integrated into The World Around Us through the inclusion of prevocational capacities. Competencies related to students’ understanding of occupations around them, observing, and working with animals and plants, and creating simple objects lay the foundation for the development of vocational capacities in the Middle Stage. Activities suitable for The World Around Us also lend themselves to the development of prevocational skills, e.g., maintaining flowerpots/kitchen gardens, clay modelling, and dialogue with shopkeepers during visits to the local markets.

b. ‘Work allocation’ in school will also be a part of preparing the ground for Vocational Education in the next Stage (e.g., taking care of the plants in class, putting away books, and helping with cleaning after the Mid-Day Meal). All students must be allocated responsibilities equally for all tasks.

Vocations and Professions There is no categorical difference between ‘vocations’ and ‘professions’. While the general usage of the two words in India tends to give ‘higher social status’ to ‘professions’ and ‘professional education,’ it is ‘vocation’ that has the connotation of ‘higher calling.’ The NCF does not differentiate between vocations and professions

9.3.2 Middle and Secondary Stages — Developing

Vocational Capacities

In the Middle and Secondary Stages, students begin a formal engagement in developing vocationally relevant capacities. In the Middle Stage, students develop breadth in vocational capacities in the three forms of work, while in the Secondary Stage, students specialise in one or more vocations.

Given the wide range of vocations, there is a need to organise the curriculum so that students receive adequate exposure while schools can manage within their constraints. The NCF will address this concern by identifying three forms of work that include a wide range of vocations with some commonalities within them.

9.3.2.1 Forms of Work

As mentioned in the previous section, the guiding principle for the Vocational Education curriculum is ‘forms of work.

Different forms of work exist worldwide, distinguished by their operational characteristics, historical practices, and the usefulness of skills and values. As a result of this, different vocations and services emerge, such as agriculture, textiles, and commercial art. Therefore, it is important to understand the different forms of work in order to comprehend how vocations and services are mapped from their respective forms.

These forms of work will ensure that all students experience work in varied contexts. For example, students in rural areas are exposed to the vocation of agricultural practices much more than students in urban areas, while those in rural areas may not be adequately exposed to the services sector.

Providing opportunities for all students to learn across all categories of forms of work will enable equality of status and opportunity for all forms of work. Specific vocations within these forms of work will be as contextualised as possible. This study within this categorisation would be aligned with the NSQF.

a. Working with life forms Working with Life forms involves developing capacities to do productive work that involves plants and animals. For example, a school could choose to develop a vegetable garden or a chicken coop as part of this category in the Middle Stage, and floriculture, dairy farming, sugarcane cultivation, or natural farming in the Secondary Stage. The abilities required for such work involves both practical skills as well as some knowledge of the biology behind these life forms, thus making school knowledge in Science relevant and practical.

b. Work with machines and materials

Working with machines and materials involves comprehending how any machine or tool works. It incorporates the processes and tasks that lead to tangible outputs. Students can be involved in this form of work by introducing handicraft work using various materials such as paper, wood, clay, and fabric. A student inclined to the work of tailoring uses basic tools such as scissors, cutters, thread, pins, and machines, including the sewing machine, to sew cloth in a predetermined design. The student will develop manual skills, attention to detail and persistence to create high-quality products. Illustratively, a school could choose to offer high-tech machining, tailoring, carpentry and pottery in the Middle Stage, and robotic welding along with advanced courses in carpentry and tailoring in the Secondary Stage. Students in Grades 11 and 12 can benefit from gaining skills in operating advanced machinery that is used in more automated manufacturing.

c. Work in human services

Work in Human Services involves interaction with people to understand their needs and requirements. It deals with the capacity to communicate well and understand the processes and resources involved in providing a particular service. So, a person inclined to work in a nursing home should be well informed about procedures, and ways of communication with patients to deliver appropriate service. Through this form of work, students develop the essential skills required for that service as well as interpersonal skills and compassion for other fellow beings. Illustratively, a school could choose to help in a nursing home or work in a shop as part of this category in the Middle Stage. In the Secondary Stage, courses could, illustratively, be offered in housekeeping, wellness/beauty, and tourism/hospitality

9.3.2.2 Middle Stage

a. Students will develop basic skills and knowledge in all three forms of work: Working with Life forms, Working with Machines and Materials, and Working in Human Services. At this Stage, the skills for work are the focus and not specific vocations.

b. In each Grade, three projects, one from each form of work will be implemented in schools. Thus, by the end of this Stage, students will work on nine projects.

c. States/Schools will choose vocations within the three forms of work, and design projects for each Grade in each form of work. The selection of projects must consider the context of the school, locality, and age-appropriateness of students.

d. Projects that align with other Curricular Areas will be supported by the respective subject Teachers. These projects can aid in interdisciplinary understanding by integrating concepts from other Curricular Areas. For example, in the case of agriculture or animal husbandry concepts from botany and zoology can be integrated with the project.

e. Towards the end of the academic year, a Kaushal Mela (skills fair) will be organised in the school for students to demonstrate their projects to the school, community members and other stakeholders. This will include a presentation of the project work, key learnings, reflections, and use of learnt skills at home.

f. It is to be noted that with this design in the Middle Stage, students will indeed be exposed to vocations and develop relevant capacities and knowledge; thus, this NCF does not use the phrase ‘prevocational’ for such learning in the Middle Stage, while that phrase has been used in other school education related documents.

9.3.2.3 Secondary Stage — Grades 9 and 10

a. Students will be given exposure to six vocations (two from each form of work) spread over two years. These will be at least equivalent to NSQF Levels 1 and 2, where relevant.

b. The vocations will be carefully identified considering the basic skills needed by students at this Stage for each of the three forms of work.

c. The focus would be on developing the appropriate skills with hands-on experience with the tools and techniques involved; only the limited theoretical knowledge relevant to students will be included. The hands-on experience will be supplemented with internship opportunities at this Stage.

d. These six vocations are chosen on the premise that exposure across these vocations will not only enhance exposure but also enable students to make an informed choice in Grades 11 and 12.

e. The choice of these vocations is also based on the premise that certain capacities in skills within cut across vocations. For example, a farmer needs to understand how motors and tractors work, and someone working in machine servicing needs similar capacities.

f. Students will learn the relevant skills for these vocations through both workshops conducted in the school as well as projects and internships in local sites of work.

g. Further, students will be given on-site exposure to industrial/agricultural spaces to broadly understand the functioning of vocations in the world of work. Schools must develop linkages with local industries, farms, service centres, cooperatives, relevant NGOs, state transport corporations, cottage industries, printing presses, call centres, software design companies, mobile operating companies, law companies, local water/electricity boards to enable students to spend part of their time gaining work/practical experience at these facilities as interns while they are still in school.

h. It is not likely that all schools will have a trained Teacher for vocational courses. Hence, these vocational courses can also be taught by locally trained and experienced resource trainers and coordinated by regular Teachers who have been relevantly trained, also with appropriate use of technology.

9.3.2.4 Secondary Stage — Grades 11 and 12

In Grades 11 and 12 students take choice-based courses in different Curricular Areas. Vocational Education is one of the Curricular Areas that should be available for students. Students choosing vocational courses from this Curricular Area would have in-depth training in a specific vocation over the period of two years. These will be minimally at NSQF levels 3-4 where relevant.

Section 9.4

Current Challenges

There are a few challenges with the implementation of Vocational Education that need to be addressed on priority:

a. Vocational Education is often considered the ‘last resort’ for students who are not able to pursue higher academic education. This hierarchy in social status has undesirable influences on school education.

b. Vocational Education has been facing curricular and resource-based constraints. For instance, with schools in remote or rural locations, resources related to industrial work are hard to access, thereby restricting the opportunity to give exposure to those students.

c. With the lack of proper infrastructure, it becomes a struggle to let students undergo practical exposure. Most equipment (if any) such as computers and materials for home science is outdated or broken with no funds for repair or replacement.

d. There is a lack of understanding about assessments, especially given the emphasis on practical, hands-on learning.

e. There are no formal linkages with the world of work. As per KRCR 2019, students passing out from Grades 11-12 with Vocational Education often do not have well-defined pathways with their chosen vocation in higher education. Also, current forms of Vocational Education often push people into ‘low-end’ self-employment and contractual work of different forms rather than into ‘good employment,’ with little or no possibilities of income mobility. With such unclear directions, it is highly challenging to make connections with the job search in the market.

f. Teacher Education programmes for the preparation of Teachers for Vocational Education are not adequate.

Section 9.5

Nature of Knowledge

a. Capacities are at the core of vocational knowledge. These are procedural (‘know-how’) in nature and intended to accomplish specific tasks. This procedural knowledge enables further work-focussed activities, both in the world of work and in daily life. These capacities are of both kinds — specific to certain types of vocations and those that are not only useful across vocations but even more broadly in life, such as communication, teamwork and collaboration, strong work ethic, critical thinking, and more.

b. These capacities are further enhanced through knowledge (‘know-that’) from other areas. Therefore, knowledge from other Curricular Areas, including Science, Mathematics, Language, and Social Science, is used where relevant, to support the development of vocational knowledge.

c. Vocational knowledge also includes developing an understanding of specific norms and guidelines for a particular job. For example, rules and regulations, safety concerns, markets, and transportation.

d. Vocational knowledge includes knowing how to work with people in teams, and in organisations. It develops sensitivity towards the environment, collaboration, integrity, waste management, and other values mentioned in NEP 2020.

Section 9.6 Learning Standards Across the Stages, students develop the essential values of persistence, creativity, collaboration, empathy, and most importantly, the willingness to do physical work. Students develop the competencies to contribute to home-based tasks to become productive members of the family. An integrated approach is taken into consideration for Vocational Education in Foundational and Preparatory Stages so as to develop prevocational capacities and positive attitude towards productive work.

In the Middle Stage, students engage in different forms of work to learn a range of common * *capacities, knowledge bases, and values that form the basis for later specialisation. The objective is to make sense of the place of vocations in the world of work and inculcate ‘working with hands’ as an integral part of the vocation. Through exposure visits and opportunities to practise, students develop a systematic approach to completing the given task.

In Grades 9 and 10 of the Secondary Stage, students deeply engage in a few vocations involving rigorous practice and field-based exposure. The larger objective of this Stage is for the students to develop efficiency while performing the tasks, and the ability to distinguish between effective and non-effective practices while delivering a fine product/service. In Grades 11 and 12 students will specialise further in chosen vocations — this is dealt with in Part C, Chapter 10, §5.5.

As already discussed in the Approach to Vocational Education, vocations offered in the curriculum will be organised in three forms of work: Working with Life Forms, with Machines and Materials, and in Human Services in the Middle and Secondary Stages. Each form of work will have a Home

Curricular Goal, which will include the competencies students develop to be able to contribute to home-based tasks. This Curricular Goal is essential for students to manage their personal life and resources more productively and meaningfully. It equips students with essential capacities to manage their day-to-day life better and establish them as competent and productive members of the family and society.

Competencies are to be attained at the end of the Stage. Therefore, interim markers of learning achievements are needed so that Teachers can observe and track learning and respond to the needs of learners continually. These interim markers are Learning Outcomes. Thus, Learning Outcomes are granular milestones of learning and usually progress in a sequence leading to the attainment of a Competency.

However, Vocational Education is different from other Curricular Areas in terms of content and approach. While in most other Curricular Areas, it is possible to mark a clear progression in Learning Outcomes as students move towards attaining a competency, this is not possible in the same way in Vocational Education.

The progression across grades in Vocational Education is in terms of the development of capacities in different vocations. To see progression across different vocations as students move through Grades is, therefore, difficult. Hence, the Learning Outcomes must be articulated in terms of learning a vocation in a single Grade. This implies that the Learning Outcomes will be the same for all grades for most Competencies, they will just be for different vocations.

For example, let us assume students do a project on horticulture related to Life Forms in Grade 6, poultry in Grade 7, and animal husbandry in Grade 8.Some of the Learning Outcomes will be similar across the Stages since they will be achieved in both the Middle and Secondary Stages. The real difference will be observed in the level of complexity in the Secondary Stage. For example, the Learning Outcome ‘Follows safety protocols while handling tools’ remains the same in both Stages, but the complexity of following safety protocol increases with the usage of advanced tools or performing tasks of increased intricacies in the Secondary Stage.

At the same time, students will be a mixed group, with varying levels of pre-existing exposure and capacities. A majority of students doing some sort of work at home may already have the skills others do not, and will already have attained the Learning Outcomes of a higher Grade. For example, some students may already be maintaining and handling equipment related to agriculture, and Machine and Materials, while others may have capacities related to Services because they may be supporting ageing grandparents or helping parents run a shop.

Learning Outcomes, in any Curricular Area do not come with rigid Grade-specific boundaries. They are enabling guidelines for Teachers to plan their content, pedagogy, and assessment towards achieving specific Competencies. In the case of Vocational Education, context is key to content, pedagogy, and assessment. For example, a Grade 6 student will be as capable of handling an agricultural tool in a rural setup as a Grade 7 student, or even more so. On the other hand, students from an urban background may not have worked with their hands in fields. Therefore, it will be a challenge to assign specific Learning Outcomes for each Grade for each Competency.

9.6.1 Curricular Goals & Competencies

9.6.1.1 Middle Stage

In the Middle Stage, there are four Curricular Goals for each of the forms of work. Students will learn multiple capacities, knowledge bases, and values, which are common across many vocations. Each Curricular Goal deals with an overarching component from these:

• CG-1 involves the acquisition of knowledge and skills in the work

• CG-2 involves the application of the chosen form of work in the world of work

• CG-3 involves the values inculcated while working (Since they are not always measurable, they need to be observed in students’ practices)

• CG-4 involves the application of knowledge and skills (learned through engaging in different forms of work) in home-based tasks

Following are the Curricular Goals and Competencies to be developed for any of the forms of work.

9.6.1.2 Secondary Stage

In the Secondary Stage Grades 9 and 10, there are three Curricular Goals for each of the forms of work. Each Curricular Goal deals with an overarching component:

• CG-1 involves the use of knowledge and skills in the work

• CG-2 involves the values inculcated while working (Since they are not always measurable, they need to be observed in students’ practices)

• CG-3 involves the application of knowledge and skills in home-based tasks

Following are the Curricular Goals and Competencies to be developed for any of the forms of work.

Mastery of the Subject Each Curricular Area comes with at least one expectation of making the learner attain mastery in the work. Be it becoming proficient to read with comprehension or to be skilled at balancing a bicycle while riding it. This expected Competency certainly becomes an important outcome as it then helps the learner apply learnt skills to more cognitively challenging tasks (e.g., by learning to balance the bicycle, the learner can then learn to regulate the speed of riding). This mastery is important; to quote Dewey, ‘It is a commonplace that the mastery of skill in the form of established habits frees the mind for a higher order of thinking.’
However, attaining mastery in any work is a subjective phenomenon, as it depends on the expectation that we set for learners to accomplish, depending on the Learning Standards. Attaining mastery of something can also be visualised as climbing a stairway where, at each step, students acquire the skills to become competent to learn new skills at the next step (different levels of mastery). It is noteworthy to mention that the skills learnt alone can hardly be utilised without deepening knowledge and making appropriate judgements about how to use skills in new situations.
Thus, in the Middle Stage, mastery in the context of Vocational Education means that students can understand the different forms of work, and how each connects to the larger functioning of the world. Mastery is the attainment of the basic skills and knowledge of the vocation, and their application in day-to-day tasks or at times of need. For example, if students learn the skill of cooking, they would not need to be dependent on others to cook for them late at night when they feel hungry.
Mastery by the end of the Secondary Stage is associated with the deepening of knowledge and a higher level of proficiency. By this Stage, students should be able to comprehend and create products or services with indicated quality parameters. Mastery is also in the form of engaging in collaborative and productive work of utility. Last, but not the least, the efforts should result in not just skilled people but capable and cultivated human beings

Section 9.7

Content

The approach, principles, and methods of selecting content have commonalities across subjects — those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.2 of this document. This section focusses only on what is most critical to Vocational Education in schools. Hence, it will be useful to read this section along with the above-mentioned the section. Content for Vocational Education will be selected at two levels. At the first level, a selection will have to be made of vocations within the forms of work (please refer to Section 13.2.3.1). At the second level, a selection will have to be made related to the specific tasks and understanding students will have to engage with.

9.7.1 Principles of Selection of Vocations from Within

Forms of Work

The following principles are intended to inform the selection of vocations from the three forms of work, that is, the vocations to be offered by the school.

a. As locally as relevant as far as possible: Students will better connect to the locally contextualised work and will be able to utilise the acquired skills and knowledge in their daily lives. Resource Persons and sites for practice will also be easily available. They will have greater chances of local employment. For example, in a rural context, for the different forms of work, (i) Agriculture and livestock rearing; (ii) Handling and repair of farm machinery, driving heavy vehicles for transport; and (iii) Catering to primary health needs of community members can be offered. In an urban setup, the different forms of work, (i) Floriculture, and nursery management; (ii) Handicraft work, welding, and casting; and (iii) Hospitality and tourism can be offered

b. Address and respond to students’ aspirations: Choices must also enable exposure to vocations that may not be practised locally but are aspirational, because of potentially attractive employment. For example, students in rural areas may not have hi-tech machining employment opportunities locally, but this may be aspirational. Similarly for employment opportunities in the Financial Services sector. The vocations selected should balance between giving exposure to different forms of work, the school’s capacity to teach, the local context, and aspirations.

c. Levels must be aligned to the expectations outlined in the NSQF: Alignment to the NSQF levels will allow them to pursue further engagement with the vocation of their choice later in life while offering recognition for employment. To enable this, content chosen in Grades 9 and 10 (at least NSQF levels 1 and 2) should progress into advanced offerings in Grades 11 and 12 (at least NSQF levels 3 and 4). For example, a student selecting livestock rearing in the Middle and Secondary Stages must be able to pursue the vocation of livestock management. Similarly, a student studying beauty treatment should be able to progress into specialisations in makeup and hairstyling.

NSQF
The National Skills and Qualifications Framework (NSQF), notified on 27 December 2013, is a competency-based, outcome-focussed, framework, composed of ten levels each representing different levels of complexity, knowledge, and autonomy, required to demonstrate competence commensurate for that level. Level one has the lowest and the level ten the highest complexity.
These levels, graded from one to ten, are defined in terms of Learning Outcomes that students must possess regardless of whether they are attained through formal, non-formal or informal learning. The first two levels largely expect students to be able to use materials and tools in a limited context, perform routine tasks under instruction and close supervision, become familiar with common terminology related to the vocation and workplace environments, and be able to differentiate between good and bad quality. The next two levels largely expect students to be able to work in jobs of their choice, within familiar, predictable, and routine situations, acquire the vocabulary of the chosen vocation, deepen their understanding of workplace environments, and develop the ability to take responsibility for their own work and learning.
The alignment between the NSQF and the curriculum will enable students to be able to take up employment after school completion or join a higher vocational programme. Students who are already involved in some sort of work at home (e.g., farming, food preservation) or who have pursued a special vocational interest will be able to obtain higher certification as a result of Recognition of Prior Learning. RPL has been formalised as part of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, implemented by the National Skill Development Corporation, for workers aged 18-45 years. It enables the recognition of formal, non-formal or informal learning based on the learning outcomes defined in the NSQF. If students so wish, RPL will also enable them to move into a vocational course at a time of their choosing, including after gaining work experience post-school completion.

9.7.2 Principles of Selection of Content Within Vocations

The following principles are intended to inform content selection at the levels of specific tasks and understanding that students will have to engage with.

a. Content must be age-appropriate: This will ensure that students acquire the required competencies as per their developmental stage and learning in other Curricular Areas. For example, a student in the early Middle Stage cannot start working with building circuit boards before working with simple circuits.

b. Content should be interesting and meaningful: Content selected should allow for varied activities, with scope to critically observe processes, and offer challenges within the capability of students. For example, while students must follow the standard stepwise processes involved in farming, they must be able to enjoy and appreciate the process of a plant growing, observe significant changes that happen to a plant, and the natural and man-made factors affecting the growth of a plant. They must have a sense of achievement once the plant is ready for use.

c. Content must instil respect for the dignity of labour: No particular work can be considered as a ‘high level’ work if every form of work is looked upon with equal respect and honour. The chosen content should also deal with the notions and beliefs associated with them, such that they give students a chance to see the importance of all kinds of labour. For example, they must realise the critical role each individual plays in any workplace – from the manager of a restaurant to a chef to the person who cleans the kitchen.

d. Content must enable exposure to different aspects of vocations: Students must get comprehensive exposure to different kinds of work. For example, sometimes students do not need any exposure since they are already working (either with family members or through relatives and contacts) but need specific capacities in that work to be developed. For example, a student might know the use of digital media, but should also develop the capacity of gathering relevant information to improve processes. Another example is a student who is working on a family farm; this student must understand the process through which produce from the farm reaches the market.

e. Content must enable exposure to the ecosystem within which the vocation is placed: Each vocation operates within its own ecosystem. This ecosystem is local and also extends beyond a small geography. It also includes intangibles such as relationships with clients, informal and formal codes of conduct, technical language, and opportunities for improvement. For example, a tailor operates in an ecosystem comprising local suppliers of materials, technicians to help with machines, helpers to sew hems and clients. The larger ecosystem comprises farmers producing cotton, weavers, cloth mills, transportation, producers of design catalogues, websites offering technical advice, and professional associations. Students must learn about both the local and larger ecosystems.

f. Content must encourage students to develop and pursue specific interests: Students should be encouraged to not just learn the skills of any work but to develop a curiosity to know how the work takes place in different contexts, how tools and machines work, what will happen in the absence of these tools and machines. Such exposure helps students select from the forms of work available to them. Once the preferred interest of vocation is chosen by the students, the selected content should educate them on the gainful employment opportunities to contribute to the economy of the country as well. For example, students choosing to be in automotive services should be aware of the place of this service in the world of work (such as in local shops, transport businesses, and vehicle service centres).

g. Content must provide hands-on exposure: The essence of Vocational Education lies in the work being done practically. The relevant content, when it exposes students to multiple modes of hands-on tasks, enables them to attain mastery. For example, a student with no or minimal hands-on exposure to the work of carpentry will not be able to evaluate the quality of a finished product.

9.7.3 Illustrative Content, Materials and Tools

9.7.3.1 Content for Different Forms of Work Across Stages

The content indicated for each Form of Work in the Table below is illustrative. In the Middle Stage, the focus is on specific skills and practices and that progresses into Secondary Stage with a focus on specific vocations.

9.7.3.2 Materials and Tools

Illustrative materials and tools can be used for different forms of work. Some are easily available in the local community, while some are hard to reach, thus requiring external support. The table below indicates materials and tools segregated as per the forms of work.

*9.7.3.3 Illustrative Projects in Middle Stage *

The content in the Middle Stage will be operationalised in schools in the form of projects taken from each form of work. In each Grade, one project from each form of work will be undertaken by students, totalling 3 projects in a year. Thus, by the end of the Middle Stage, students will be able to work on nine projects.

The selected projects must be contextual, with relevance to the world of work, students’ lives, and their age-appropriate learning. The Teacher can decide the execution strategy of these projects based on the geography, availability of additional resources, budget, and number of students. The crucial element which needs to be kept in mind is to provide as much real-life experience of the vocation as possible in order to achieve the Learning Standards. Some vocational projects will also align with the concepts of Science and Social Science Subjects, so the respective Teachers can also add theoretical and practical inputs to enrich the learning experience of students.

These projects should be such that they give students creative and engaging opportunities to work on them beyond the dedicated hours of Vocational Education at schools. For example, if the project of tailoring enables the student to stitch independently, they will also be able to apply that skill in home-based tasks and support their family

Following is the illustrative list of Projects with brief descriptions under each form of work:

9.7.3.4 Illustrative Course Design in Secondary Stage – Grades 9 and 10

In the Secondary Stage, there will be 6 core vocations covering two from each form of work. The illustrative core vocations include agriculture, plumbing, and beauty and wellness in Grade 9, and gardening, carpentry, and nursing and care in Grade 10. These core vocations represent all forms of work.

The design of the course will be as below:

Section 9.8

Pedagogy

The approach, principles, and methods of pedagogy and assessment have commonalities across subjects — those have been discussed in Part A, Chapter 3, §3.3 and §3.4 of this document. This section focusses only on what is most critical to Vocational Education in schools. Hence, it will be useful to read this section along with the above-mentioned section.

Knowledge, capacities, and values related to Vocational Education are acquired through consistent practice of doing and exposure to on-site work. This, work must result in productive outcomes, and students must be able to experience actual workplaces and meet people in these workplaces. They must have opportunities to discuss their experiences and reflect on their own learning.

9.8.1 Pedagogical Principles

9.8.1.1 Balance of Doing and Thinking

Productive work without applying intelligence risks becoming mechanical and only understanding theory in Vocational Educational does not make any sense at all. Thus, the Teacher must plan a judicious mix of theory and practice.

In the Middle Stage, the focus will be on not just the capacities of the selected vocation, but also the broader knowledge of the domain (e.g., if students are preparing to work as Nursing Assistants, then the domain will be healthcare), and its place in the world of work. In the Secondary Stage, the proportion spent on the practical application must be greater. Students must also build an in-depth understanding of the place of the vocation in the world. At this Stage, apprenticeships can be offered to students, under the guidance of Resource Teachers/ Master Instructors in nearby facilities where the chosen work is practised.

9.8.1.2 Workshops and Project-based Learning Having short duration (40 minutes) classes with individual plans for instruction for each class is not very appropriate for developing capacities for productive work. These require a longer duration of engagement. Thus, workshops and long-running projects are more suitable for Vocational Education.

Workshops are appropriate for developing specific skills and these workshops can be planned on ‘bagless’ Saturdays. For example, cleaning, cutting, and cooking for the entire school can be done in a workshop mode. Similarly, disassembling and assembling a motor pump can be done in a workshop. In workshops, usually, the focus can be on individual work.

Projects are of longer duration and can run over multiple weeks or even months. Working on a kitchen garden would involve preparing the land, planting seeds, periodic and consistent care and attention to the plants, including weeding and pest-control, and harvesting. Projects are usually better done as groups and students get to learn to work in teams.

A day in the woodwork shed It was a regular morning at the woodwork shed. Six girls and four boys, 11-year-olds, stood around scanning all the tools and pieces of wood stacked in the room. Finally, they laid their eyes on the small square pieces of recycled teak wood, chisels, and mallets placed before them. These were arranged at a two-plus feet distance around the large central table and on two other smaller tables in the corners of the shed.
After enthusiastically welcoming them to their first woodwork class, we started by establishing basic rules of safety for working in the woodshed. After each one of them came up with a rule of their own (including not throwing instruments at each other!), I declared that there are five basic rules in the woodshed.
1. No running around in the shed
2. No ‘playing’ with the tools, but observe them and learn to use them
3. Initially, all students will work in the shed only when I am around
4. All students must help with setting up for and putting away materials after every class
5. Keep footwear on and exercise alertness when moving around in the shed
6. And most importantly, observe closely, listen carefully, and follow instructions obediently.
Muffled giggles erupted and a voice reminded me that it was six rules! I grinned sheepishly.
I started by demonstrating the use of tools with simple instructions. Typically, the most basic tools for the first few classes in woodcarving are flat chisels without handles, semi-curved chisels, and wooden mallets. I also showed them how to use the clamp to hold a block of wood down to the table. Students began touching the wood surface, feeling and smelling it. I shared that it was Burmese teak that was once used as part of a village house around the school and that recycled wood cut to small squares at the local sawmill is an excellent carving material.
I gave them the specific plan for the day. They were to carve out a small square in the wood clamped before them. Students first drew a square on the wood with pencils and rulers. They then practised the action of holding a chisel and a mallet. They picked up the flat chisel with their non-dominant hand and the mallet with their dominant hand. I demonstrated the two ways of holding the flat chisel, calling the first one a ‘full fist hold’ and the second hold as a ‘feather hold.’ I gave them five minutes to experiment with the holds. They were quite engrossed.
They began using the wooden mallet and struck gently on the head of the chisel. I suggested that they observe the amount of force they were applying to cut into the wood. Also, I urged them to explore the angles at which they will hold the chisel against the wood. I showed them that a ninety-degree angle will push the chisel deeper than a less-than-ninety-degree angle. A forty-five-degree angle of the chisel to the wood will drive the chisel diagonally, and a very low degree, say a ten-degree angle, will do something different which I asked them to find out for themselves. They all worked in silence, rather attentively, experimenting with the angles and the striking The class ended with students having made moderate progress in carving out small squares in their blocks of wood. As I watched them putting away their materials, feeling very pleased, a student made and quick dash towards me with a semi-curved chisel displeased that I forgot to show them how to use that tool

9.8.1.3 Learning in Work Contexts

The pedagogy of Vocational Education will require different sites to ensure opportunities to learn in real-life work contexts. While this is not always possible, pedagogical approaches in the classroom must also align with real life. Starting with exposure visits, opportunities for internships and apprenticeships provide adequate opportunities for developing vocational capacities.

a. Exposure Visits

Exposure visits to nearby workplaces to observe productive work and interaction with people involved in productive work gives an experiential understanding of the work involved. For example, a visit to a hospital to understand the roles and responsibilities of nurses and healthcare workers, or to nearby factories, and cottage industries can be organised with specific objectives in mind. Students must get an opportunity to engage with persons in these work places, and Teachers could organise follow-up visits as well inviting people from these work places to give guest lectures and demonstrations in the school.

b. Internships

Internships are short-duration placements in a workplace to learn about a specific job role. NEP 2020 emphasises the importance of an internship,

All students will participate in a 10-day bagless period during Grades 6-8 where they intern with local vocational experts, such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists. Similar internship opportunities to learn vocational subjects may be made available to students throughout Grades 6-12, including holiday periods.’ [NEP 2020, 4.26]

An internship enables students to experience a workplace environment that cannot be simulated in a classroom. They can observe and put forth questions to adults who are working at different jobs. This ‘real’ experience provides students to explore and decide whether they would like to take up the related vocation for further study. It also helps them identify the values and dispositions relevant in the workplace.

Students must have opportunities to engage with work that is aligned with their current capacities. A comprehensive orientation of both students and the individuals at the workplace will be required, with regular follow-up discussions. Members of the workplace will have to be sensitised to ensure the safety of students – physical and emotional.

Specific examples of workplaces where this internship can take place are:

• Working with Life Forms – poultry, dairy farms, pest control units, and nursery.

• Working with Machines and Materials – local mechanic workshops, carpentry workplaces, and tailoring units

• Working in Human Services – hotels, restaurants, hospitals, gyms, old age homes, and beauty salons.

Assessment could be in the form of a reflective note, and/or presentation at the end of the internship. Students could also do a short project during the duration of the internship.

c. Apprenticeships

In the Secondary Stage, students will need to be given advanced on-site exposure in industrial/agricultural spaces to broadly understand the functioning of vocations in the world of work. Schools must develop linkages with local industries, farms, service centres, cooperatives, relevant NGOs, state transport corporations, cottage industries, printing presses, call centres, software design companies, mobile operating companies, law companies, local water/electricity boards to enable students to spend part of their time gaining work/ practical experience at these facilities as apprentices while they are still in school.

Apprenticeship involves on-site work experience over a long-term period to gain experiential skills and knowledge under the supervision of a mentor. Apprenticeship in the Secondary Stage will enable students to gain capacities to enter the workplace after completion of schooling or help them decide whether they would like to pursue a specific vocation.

An apprenticeship enables hands-on practice at on-site locations. Students develop an understanding of the culture, values and dispositions, and vocabulary of the workplace, and factors that affect functioning. They can develop a portfolio of their work to demonstrate their readiness for gainful employment.

Mentors will be experienced workers, with the ability to engage with students. They will need to undergo a short course offered at the DIET/BITE that will prepare them to be effective mentors.

A detailed design for the apprenticeship will have to be put in place. Modes could include an apprenticeship of about a month and a half during the summer vacation. Alternatively, students could spend 2 hours after school hours a few days a week.

Assessment could be through a demonstration of work by students, or a portfolio maintained during the apprenticeship. This should also include observations of students by the mentor

Since, the educational importance of ‘apprenticeship’ in vocational education is enormous. it is important to use this as an integral part of the pedagogical approach. Thus, ‘apprenticeship’ integrated within school curricula must be firmly distinguished from other (equally useful) forms of ‘apprenticeship,’ which happen after students graduate from schools. It is therefore important to note that in this NCF ‘apprenticeship’ is used as an essential pedagogical approach to gain ‘know-how’ knowledge, while the students are in school. This must not be seen from the lens of the Apprentice Act 1961.

9.8.1.4 Inclusion One of the fundamental principles mentioned in NEP 2020 is equity and inclusion to ensure that all students can thrive in the education system. In Vocational Education, all students should be given equal access in terms of working with tools and resources.

Teachers must ensure no discrimination takes place towards students with having disabilities or students from specific genders or socio-economic backgrounds, not only in the school premise but also at external workplaces by other students, external trainers, or associated stakeholders. Schools must coordinate with Resource Centres having special educators to meet the rehabilitation educational needs of learners with severe or multiple disabilities. An understanding of how to teach students with specific disabilities (including learning disabilities) must be an integral part of all Teacher education programmes.

Rigid gender roles still exist in society. Awareness must be built among stakeholders that the capacity for doing any work is independent of gender. Training modules for Teachers as well as Resource Persons/Master Instructors will need to address this aspect. For example, a boy is capable of working as a nurse, and a girl is capable of working as a welder.

Assistive devices and appropriate technology-based tools must be made available to help students with disabilities integrate more easily into classrooms and engage with peers, in addition to textbooks and manuals in Braille or audio-visual formats.

Collaboration with specialised agencies such as the National Association for the Blind (NAB), National Institute for Visually Handicapped (NIVH), and other institutions to design and customise Vocational Education courses across Stages of school education can be ensured by NCERT. A similar approach can be done for placing students for employment.

9.8.1.5 Safety

Safety considerations related to Vocational Education involve both the physical and emotional safety of students.

Physical safety relates to the use of equipment that has the potential to harm students. Emotional safety relates to protecting them from exposure to experiences that may distress them, as well as sensitising persons who will interact with them within and outside the school.

Forms of work involving the use of materials and complex tools need to be first instructed and demonstrated by the Teacher. The Teacher must indicate the necessary precautionary steps.

Correctly holding the tools (e.g., while using a shovel, needle, or cutters) while performing a task can prevent injury and help create efficient products. Students should also be encouraged to take care of the tools and materials, and not use them for fun or to tease fellow students. Teachers will have to be very observant of students’ practices with the tools and materials to guide them appropriately.

Exposure visits, internships and apprenticeships will have to be carefully planned in consultation with parents/guardians to ensure safe transit between school, home, and workplace. Preferably, a Teacher should accompany students in the Middle Stage when they go for an internship; if not possible, then a volunteer from the community can accompany the students. It is even possible for Secondary Stage students to be apprentices at the same place to assist Middle School students.

All Resource Persons/Master Instructors as well as other employees must be sensitised and be aware of legal provisions related to the safety of students. Vocational Education Coordinators must be in regular contact with them to discuss any challenges they may be facing related to students. DIETs/BITEs must also develop follow-up modules for Resource Persons/Master Instructors based on an analysis of their needs.

Section 9.9

Assessment

The approach, principles and methods of Assessment have a lot in common across subjects. Thus, to avoid repetition, these matters are not being repeated in this chapter. Please refer to Part A, Chapter 3, §3.4 for Assessment. In this section, only a few examples that are illustrative of good assessment practices in Vocational Education are described based on the principles and methods in the above-mentioned chapters.

Some key principles of assessment in Vocational Education are:

a. Students must be assessed on the capacities and values and dispositions related to the form of work they have engaged with, such as systematic organisation of tasks, knowledge of the use of safety protocols, working in groups, attention to details, as well as persistence and focus, curiosity and creativity, empathy and sensitivity, collaboration, and teamwork.

b. Students must be assessed primarily through demonstrated performance. Written tests may be included to assess capacities such as conceptualisation and planning. Portfolios maintained by students will be the basis of an oral test (viva voce). A consolidation of Teacher observations can also be used, particularly for the assessment of values and dispositions.

c. Students may also be assessed on their experience - the challenges they faced, the efforts to overcome the challenges, and their own assessment of the final product that they created. This can be done through written self-reports and reflection, and viva voce. A few Teacher Voices illustrate assessment in Vocational Education below.

Assessing through Multiple-Choice Questions Objective: To assess students’ comprehension on the processes required to complete the task I teach Grade 7, and, this year, my students have done the following projects: a kitchen garden, a solar cooker model, and a library project. I wanted to assess how well they understood the process of planning. I used an MCQ related to planning in a different situation. I could have directly asked them to list the steps for any specific project, but I thought it would be better to assess their understanding of the general process.
Question: As you are aware, planning is a very important part of doing any work. Imagine you are working with a potter, and she has asked you to make a simple pot. What is the sequence of steps that you will follow?
a. (i) Selection of clay, (ii) Designing the pot, (iii) Preparing the clay, (iv) Preparing the wheel, (v) Creating the pot, (vi) Sun drying/baking in a kiln
b. (i) Selection of clay, (ii) Preparing the clay, (iii) Designing the pot, (iv) Preparing the wheel, (v) Creating the pot, (vi) Sun drying/baking in a kiln
c. (i) Designing the pot, (ii) Selection of clay, (iii) Preparing the clay, (iv) Preparing the wheel, (v) Creating the pot, (vi) Sun drying/baking in a kiln
d. (i) Preparing the wheel, (ii) Selection of clay, (iii) Preparing the clay, (iv) Designing the pot, (v) Creating the pot, (vi) Sun drying/baking in a kiln Marking scheme: A-0; B-0; C-4; D-0

Assessing through Viva-Voice Objective: To check my students’ understanding of the task through their reflections I teach Grade 8. I plan to conduct a viva voce based on the portfolio students have maintained throughout the year. I plan to do this instead of simply assessing the portfolio since I will be able to assess their learning more comprehensively. The portfolio consists of any products they have made during the year, or photographs and reflections. This year, the students did projects on basic bicycle repair, making a biogas plant model, and sewing garments for children. The duration of the viva voce will be 10 minutes I asked the students to pick any of the projects that they liked best and asked them a few questions about it.
1. Why did you choose this project for discussion? Why do you think it is important?
2. How did you prepare to do the project? How did you plan? Where did you get materials?
3. Did you make any changes to your plan? If yes, what were the changes, and why did you make them? If not, is there any change you could have made?
4. What do you think of the quality of your work?
5. If you could do it again, what would you improve? Marking scheme

Assessing through Demonstration of Competencies
Objective: To assess the efficiency of students in performing the task I teach Grade 9. I plan to assess students on Tie-and-Dye. The duration of the examination will be of 3 hours, which should be sufficient for them to demonstrate the Competencies required to tie and dye using a single colour. That is sufficient for me to assess without waiting for the final product. I prefer this mode of assessment to a simple question in a written test since I can observe them as they work. I have chosen to assess only the process they follow and not the product they create.
Instructions: Your task today is to tie and dye using a single colour. There are T-shirts of different colours as well as dyes available. You can use the worktables and the sink in the workshop to do your work. Remember, we will not be able to complete the process – once you have done the first rinse, you can show me your T-shirt, and then take it home to complete. You have 3 hours.

Section 9.10

*Enabling Conditions *

9.10.1 Teachers and Master Instructors/Resource Persons

The current B.Ed. and D.Ed. colleges do not offer specific courses for teaching Vocational Education. Therefore, till such time these programmes are available, existing Teachers will have to take Vocational Education in the Middle Stage, with support from Resource Persons, also referred to as Master Instructors in KRCR 2019 However, the Secondary Stage will demand specialisation in specific vocations. KRCR 2019 proposes that

Special shorter local teacher education programmes will also be available at BITEs, DIETs, or at school complexes themselves for eminent local persons who can be hired to teach at schools or school complexes as ‘master instructors’, for the purpose of promoting local professions, knowledge, and skills, e.g., local art, music, agriculture, business, sports, carpentry, and other vocational crafts

Therefore, guidelines for preparing these Resource Persons/Master Instructors will have to be developed by SCERTs, and appropriate modules developed by DIETs/BITEs. The content of these short-term training courses must orient them not only to school pedagogy but the need for sensitivity and inclusion while interacting with students; they must also be aware of legal provisions related to school education.

It follows that the first step would be to create a pool of ‘Master Instructors’ locally on priority. These ‘Master Instructors’ have an important role to play, since they will supplement the expertise of the regular Teachers. These Master Instructors may be artisans (rural and urban), health practitioners, mechanics, technicians, farmers, folk artists, local entrepreneurs, persons involved

in poultry farming or fishing, persons retired from the defence services, IT professionals, and beauticians. They can be brought in as guest faculty and can either impart knowledge of both theory and practice in their respective vocations or provide only practical training. In cases where specialised practical training is being provided to students outside schools, external instructors can also be brought in to teach the theoretical aspects along with mentors at the workplace.

Student internships and apprenticeships must take place in the workplace these Resource Persons/Master Instructors are associated with. Schools must assist these Master Instructors to become comfortable in an academic environment, to handle students, and to comply with broader definitions of curricular and assessment frameworks in their work, through the short-term training courses provided at the DIETs/BITEs or the school/ school complex itself.

9.10.2 Conducive Space and Resources

The support of the community can also be taken to borrow materials and tools for use in schools. For example, agricultural or nursery tools can be taken from the local farmers or nurseries for a brief period to grow plants on the school grounds.

Relevant exposure to machines and equipment will also be required for students to apply the skills and knowledge acquired. Collaboration with the local shops and industries (e.g., art galleries, carpentry, and automotive shops), nearby farms and nurseries, hospitals, and tours and travels businesses (e.g., healthcare, tourism and hospitality, automotive service) will help provide necessary exposure and learning to understand the relevance of the vocation in the world of work.

A Skill Lab can be set up in schools to provide a ‘real work’ environment for students to work at. These skill labs can also be accessible for nearby schools to utilise. By channelling the investment of governments and CSRs, conducive spaces can be formed, even in remote locations.