NCF: Students will earn credit for vocational studies along with academics

The Center on Wednesday introduced the proposed National Credit Framework, which will allow students to earn credits from both academic and extracurricular activities and deposit them in a credit bank, a system that is currently in place at the higher academic level.

The framework intends to create a single credit accumulation and transfer for general and vocational studies, as well as from secondary to higher education. In addition, the frameworks for skill education and higher education are not currently integrated, and the suggestion is to bring all frameworks, including the one at the school level, under one roof.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also made plans to begin an "Aadhaar-enabled student registration" effort. This drive would be followed by the introduction of Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) accounts, where credits can be deposited.

He said, ‘An Aadhaar-enabled student registration will take place. After student registration, an ABC account will be opened. The deposit of degrees and credits will take place in those accounts. There will be a knowledge locker along the lines of DigiLocker.’ He further added, ‘The integration of vocational courses and academic studies would be a game changer by opening numerous options for further progression of students and inter-mingling of school and higher education with vocational and experiential learning.’