Mumbai: Temporary halt on new vocational courses in junior colleges

The existing teachers will be trained to instruct current courses

A temporary stay has been put on the new vocational courses to be started in junior colleges discontinuing bifocal courses. In June 2023, the Maharashtra government issued a resolution to convert popular bifocal courses in Mumbai into employment-oriented specialised courses aligned with the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) starting from the academic year 2024-25.

The new order mandates that the introduction of these vocational courses will now commence from the academic year 2025-26. This postponement aims to ensure a smoother transition and better preparedness for implementing the new NSQF-aligned vocational courses in junior colleges, said an official.

The state introduced vocational courses to train youth and reduce college admissions. These courses cover 30 per cent of vocational subjects. Now, around 16 of these courses are running in technical, commerce, agriculture, and fisheries groups. But some courses, like Fish Processing Technology and Chemical Plant Operator, are stopped because they weren't developed properly.

"If these institutions or colleges wish to start new or previous batches of vocational courses, they must implement the NSQF-transformed new vocational courses from the academic year 2025-26 onwards, as mandated by the government decision," said an official from the state education department.

The GR last year stated that the existing teachers will receive training to continue instructing the current courses, while new teachers must meet the prescribed qualifications. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education will organise examinations for the new syllabus. "Many teachers are yet to get training. Starting new courses is not an easy task. It is good that they have deferred the introduction of new courses by a year," said a principal of a junior college in south Mumbai.