The Third G20 Education Working Group Meeting in Bhubaneswar will be preceded by discussions on integrating skill development into the curriculum by the Ministry of Education and Skill Development (MoESD) and the Singaporean government on April 25. The Future of Work will be discussed at the meeting. “We plan to introduce vocational education and skill development at grade six onwards under which hands-on experience of sampling the importance of vocational craft will be taught in a joyful way,” Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, stated in a press conference on Monday.
The Ministry also intends to establish Skill-Ups, in which one school serves as the hub and other schools adhere to the league. This module is currently being introduced by the Ministry. The Fourth Education Working Group Meeting, which is slated to take place in Pune, will also draw on the third round of G20 discussions and will be centred on the issue of Foundational Numeracy and Literacy. “Introducing FNL in the most informed way possible is crucial for operationalizing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This will act as the cornerstone for the development of lifelong skills, said Kumar.
By 2025, NEP 2020 seeks to upskill at least 50% of students in K–12 and higher education programmes. The Ministry stated that discussing how to accomplish this goal at the upcoming G20 summit in Bhubaneswar is a step in the right direction. According to Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MoESD, the goal is to draw lessons from both nations’ experiences in order to create a national strategy fit for India.
The Singapore government has already integrated vocational training and education into its educational system. Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 in India today get vocational education through Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. Vocational education is optional for students in grades 9 and 10, but it is required for students in grades 11 and 12.
