'Schools too should shoulder responsibility and bring about holistic development in students’

Every year we see the children passing out from schools and colleges but not many of them get employed into various industries. It is definitely a crisis as we do not have an employable workforce.

The transition from a safe environment in school to office may not always be a very smooth one, primarily because of the gap between what the industry expects and what the school teaches a child.

The schools too should shoulder their responsibility and bring about holistic development in a child. Besides refining the mind, the major role any education system has to ensure is employability. We are living in an awakened and informed time now, therefore all stake holders need to focus on bridging this gap between education and career.

The global data already states that by 2030 the nature of jobs would have changed drastically, hence what we need to ask ourselves is -- “Are our kids future-ready?” . They would be if we are training them in acquiring skills that are necessary for the future job markets.

The objective of our education system cannot be only confined to create bookworms who score good marks by memorising. The said journey from education to being employed is something that every stakeholder is watching. The primary stakeholders i.e the parents eagerly wait for this day with a lot of dreams in their eyes.

Let me take a broader look at some of the key points which may help in bridging the gap. According to me, we must appreciate that life is an open-book exam.

When we try to work on an assignment, we will be having all theoretical knowledge at our disposal. The new system adopted by CBSE , that is the case study questions in all subjects are the need of present times, will help the new-age student.

The students will come out of the habit of memorizing by heart and instead develop the critical thinking and analytical ability. Most examinations are essentially structured in a manner to assess the students in terms of his knowledge about the syllabus and not assess them in terms of team building or leadership skills.

However, the moment a student steps out of the campus and walks into the professional phase of life, chances are that she or he will be part of a larger ecosystem.

Conceptual clarity and understanding won’t take you very far unless you are able to express. The ability to communicate effectively will only boost confidence. Traditional chalk and talk method is a thing of the past. The students in school rarely get customized mentoring and the space to grow as separate, mature and confident individuals, and thus in most cases they are not even aware of their individual strengths and development needs.

We must try to improve the ratio between the teachers and the learners. In my opinion, the students should get an idea of the job market/industry through internship or participating in family business, even taking up a summer jobs will expose them to real-life challenges and also help in dealing with them.

It is also worth noting to invite educators from various universities to schools as full-time or part-time advisors as these people have an objective outlook towards the requirements of the industry and can certainly help in guiding our youth

The Indian education system has definitely some gaps and challenges, but things will change for the better. It is only a matter of time when fresh graduates will be better prepared by availing all sorts of digital /vocational courses. The students should utilise the available technology and develop their skills as per the norms of the industry.

Dr. DK Sinha, Principal, Jagran Public School, Noida. Views expressed are personal.