Summary
An NGO has started a pilot project where 15 boys, who had dropped out of a conventional school, have been put into vocational education
Parents of many first-generation learners are being counselled about the opportunities that vocational education offers and how their children could have better chances of employment when they turn adults if they were trained in such courses.
Many of the parents would either want their children in mainstream education or take up an odd job that would give them Rs 100 a day, said NGOs working with them.
Not everyone is academically sound that they can sail through mainstream education, the NGOs said.
So, these groups are trying to channel these children towards taking up vocational education.
An NGO has started a pilot project where 15 boys, who had dropped out of a conventional school, have been put into vocational education.
Another one has taken up a project of counselling the parents and the students to understand the importance of vocational training instead of focusing only mainstream education.
“We have seen a tendency, mostly among boys, that after Class X or XII they drop out and they go out for some unskilled work for a mere Rs 100 to 200 a day. Their parents want them either to be in mainstream education or start earning. But not everyone can join a college and we are trying to show them the options that vocational training offers,” said Ananya Chatterjee, school administrator, Calcutta Rescue.
There are courses in graphic designing, financial accounting, beautician, hair cutting that they can take up.
“It is a tough job to counsel parents because they do not have an understanding of vocational education,” said Arjun Dutta, president, Calcutta Social Project.
The NGO conducts group counselling first and then “individualised counselling” for the parents.
“They would want their sons or daughters to be a doctor or engineer but everyone does not have the potential for it,” said Dutta.
Vocational education and choosing a particular course also help them to gain confidence.
“For those who are not academically strong after Class XII we try to put them in vocational education but for that we have to convince their parents and sometimes students, too,” said Vinita Saraf, founder trustee, Ek Tara.
Saraf said that the organisation targets students who they feel would drop out midway during graduation and lose out on a degree.
“It is also demotivating for students if they cannot perform academically. So, it is best they do something where they can fare well,” said Saraf.
Last updated on 16 Nov 2023
