Edexcel and British Council conducted a joint seminar on the relevance and implementation of Vocational Educatio
n in schools in India. Edexcel and British Council have joined hands to bring the concept of vocational skill-based learning to schools in India through BTEC, a standardized Edexcel qualification of choice for educators.
Conventional thought in India is to compartmentalize knowledge and skills into two separate modes of education and tag them separately. The pursuit of knowledge at schools and colleges is considered desirable; skills have taken a backseat and are looked down upon. The situation is changing now as more and more educators and employers come to realize that knowledge and skills are interdependent. What is required in a successful student is knowledge and the skills to apply that knowledge. So the approach of fusing vocational and academic education is gaining momentum. With the involvement of international accrediting bodies and a range of options to progress into education or employment globally, vocational education truly opens new vistas.
Premila Paulraj Canitius, Assistant Vice President, Edexcel Academics – Indian Subcontinent said, “I am pleased that the British Council is partnering with Pearson / Edexcel to promote this initiative. Academics and parents have realised the importance of vocational qualifications being offered in schools as an extracurricular subject, which not only makes learning a practical and pleasurable experience, but also gives them grades / credits equivalent to an International GCSE and A level.”
Sarah Deverall, Director Examinations India & Customer Services South Asia for the British Council, said: “India has set a target of creating 500 million skilled workers by 2020 and set out a vision for reform of the vocational education and skills system. We are delighted to be helping to address this challenge by joining efforts to create awareness among schools in India of the expertise and assessment tools available from the UK, including Edexcel’s BTEC (Business and Technical Education Council) qualifications. This new system offers an experiential way of studying and when included as an essential part of the academic offering for school students, it has the potential to add enormous value to their skill sets and hence their employment and future study possibilities.
