Jajpur: Vocational education and training are on the verge of extinction in this district. Due to a lack of infrastructure and teachers, more and more youths are turning their backs on vocational education, sources informed here Friday. There are 12 vocational schools in this district. However, none of them are properly using the funds allotted by the Higher Education department for development and modernisation. Vocational education is an alternative system and differs from the courses followed in regular colleges. Vocational education, also called career and technical education (CTE), prepares youngsters for jobs in a technical manner and helps them earn their livelihoods. There are many state run Government Vocational Higher Secondary Schools (GVHSS) to train youngsters in Odisha. These schools impart knowledge associated with various vocations to students, teach them various crafts and technical skills.
Such schools have become popular as they give handson training to the students. In this district, however, the scenario is quite the opposite. The attraction to pursue vocational courses is waning rapidly. The institutes at Sahaspur Higher Secondary School in Balichandrapur and the BS Higher Secondary School at Sayeedpur are two cases in this point.
Recently, the Higher Education department sanctioned Rs 4,50,000 towards the development of Sahaspur Vocational School. However, no one has any knowledge about how the funds have been spent. Principal Dillip Kumar Samal feigned ignorance when asked about the utilization of funds. He shifted responsibility to another person. It should also be added that the school currently has 40 students. However, there is only one teacher to cater to their needs. A similar situation exists at the Sayeedpur school which has nine students. Not a single resource person has been appointed to attract more students to the school.
These are two primary examples of how the vocational education system is functioning in this district. This apart, the Higher Education department has sanctioned Rs 2.25 lakh each for Kharasrota School in Singhpur, PK Vidyalaya on Baitarani Road, and Indira Gandhi Women’s College at Jajpur Road. The department has also sanctioned Rs 4.5 lakh for the vocational school at Baba Bhairabananda HS School at Chandikhole.
Sources, however, alleged that funds are often not used properly and that is one of the main reasons for the decline in the number of vocational students. The lack of teachers is another reason for the waning number of students, they added. When contacted, Assistant District Education Officer Rajesh Kumar Swain said that he does not know the sanctioning of funds to these vocational schools. He, however, said he would follow up on the matter by talking to the presidents of the respective schools.