Are skills getting priority in our education system ?

The present-day education system is stuffing the brains of the students with concepts but fails to understand that the information cannot be called knowledge until the system provides the opportunity to put it to the test practically and achieve the desired results. The students know many things in theory, but they fail to implement them in real life, just because they don't have the practical application skills. To encourage the students to learn skills, the classroom must be connected to the field. The industries are suffering from lack of skilled manpower while the candidates are looking for employment. To end this, the government should understand in what aspects, the industries are rejecting the candidates and enhance their skills. It should also plan for the future by teaching the skills required to the students and introducing them early. The skill development programme should also teach the students about the dignity of labour, producing high quality and competitive products, focussing on value-added service and increasing local employment opportunities.

- Chunduri Rangarao, President, Prakasam District Development Forum, Ongole

Skill development is the need of the hour. Just pursuing 10+2+3 education is meaningless. Many of the students pursuing degrees do not get jobs without skill development. In fact, a 3-year degree course should include one year skill development training in any industry. When that happens, the trained students can be absorbed in the company itself. I do not know what the Skill Development Corporation or the proposed university would do to upgrade student skills.

- Yarava Prakash, Computer institute, Anantapur

Education should be practical-oriented rather than traditional theoretical pursuit. Practice-based education can give scope to improve skills in their respective field of subjects. Now a days, a student after his bachelor education or diploma in any discipline would not get job or opportunity only with theoretical knowledge without skills. The technology is taking new shapes every day, hence industries are also expecting skilled employees. To meet the requirement and overcome the competition, skill-based education is must for a student.

- V Devesh, B Tech (ECE) from NIT, Trichy, Tirupati

Corporate dominance in our education system led to a trend of aiming only for marks rather than practical skills. Graduates in technical education are having no real skills and knowledge required for the industry. Our education system is only confined to providing degrees and diplomas in various fields like teaching, engineering, management, service and industrial sectors. But graduates and diploma holders are unable to get employment due to lack of proper skills. So, skill development and practical education must be given priority at all levels in all professional degree and diploma courses and should be made mandatory. Only then unemployment and underemployment can be dealt with successfully. Our education system also needs to switch over to skill development, practical approach, work experience, internship and apprenticeship to enable students get good opportunities soon after completion of courses.

- Sannasetti Rajasekhar, President, AP Teachers' Federation in undivided AP, Srikakulam city

I hope the NEP–2020 can change the traditional education into skill-based education under which a degree student after completion of his three-year bachelor degree in any discipline will have one more year of skill-based training. This system can bring in new trend in education with students coming out of institution after completing graduation with skills suitable to deal with the sector he or she is employed in. Students are also showing interest towards skill-based education to cope with the present competition for jobs. Students after education may or may not get jobs but they would be capable of leading a quality life with their skills in their respective fields or branches.

- Prof Lokanatha Valluru, Dean, Dept of Biotechnology, Dravidian University, Kuppam

The government should concentrate on improvement of skills of the students to get better placements from the Intermediate. Due to lack of skills, the students who completed diplomas and engineering degrees are not getting jobs. Parents and faculty should motivate the students to improve their skills. Engineering colleges are conducting training classes to the students to improve their communication skills. AP Skill Development Corporation is imparting the training to students to improve their skills. The students should avail the facility to improve their skills.

- Dr T Sevakumar, social activist, Guntur

If education encourages and nudges students towards practising curiosity and emotional intelligence, I think that it can produce more individuals that engage in interdisciplinary, cross-functional and collaborative activities. Education is a preparation for life, and only a part of it is about developing work-related skills. The focus should be more on equipping students with holistic education.

- Rohit Dutta, B.Sc. Physical Science student, Visakhapatnam

It is unfortunate that many students are focussing on degrees and diplomas without acquiring skills for their prosperous career. Without skill development, it would be tough for anyone to flourish. Acquiring degrees is not a big task now a days. Skilled persons will have assured future. Keeping in view the significance of skill development, the government has established a number of skill development centres in AP. I advise the student community to undergo training in skill development centres along with degrees.

- N Pavan Kumar, IT professional, Chittoor

Degrees and diplomas without knowledge and proper professional skills have no use to the students. Lakhs of youth are taking degrees from various educational institutions every year but less than five per cent are getting selected in the campus interviews. This trend has been continuing for a long time. Now, the time has come for total revamp of the education system and priority should be given to the skill development of students. Youth are getting disappointed due to lack of job opportunities and proper opportunities to build their career. The government should think seriously about skill development and other activities like communication skills to help them get jobs and settle in professions.

- M S Rao, furniture trader, Vijayawada