Students can now pursue technical and vocational courses in 240 schools in various parts of the country.

According to Khagraj Baral, director general at the Department of Education, technical and vocational education was available only in 99 schools in 71 districts earlier. But the DoE has now expanded technical and vocational education to 240 schools across the country.

“Any student willing to study technical and vocational subjects can pursue studies in the subject of their choice in their own districts now,” said Baral. He informed that technical and vocational education was introduced in 99 schools since 2013.

In the beginning, 21 schools started teaching civil engineering, 21 schools computer engineering, five schools electronics engineering, 39 schools plant science and 13 schools animal farming.

But now, a total of 141 schools have been permitted to run technical and vocational education in Grade IX from the current academic session. Only Manang district has no technical and vocational school due to lack of students.

Currently, the first batch of students in the technical and vocational stream are studying in Grade XII.

After the eighth amendment to the Education Act, students of technical and vocational stream need to complete 13 years of school education because of a year long internship.

After the completion of 13 years of school education, students in the technical and vocational stream can pursue higher studies in universities.

DoE also informed that higher secondary schools that have been running technical and vocational courses will get financial assistance equivalent to the salary of two secondary level school teachers.

source:the himalayan times,13 july 2016