New education policy focuses on ‘bagless days’, vocational training

nNEWDELHI: The national education policy released by the human resource development ministry suggests a wide variety of vocational and enriching courses, and ‘bagless’ periods where students focus on vocations.

The policy says students should get hands-on experience in important vocational crafts, such as carpentry, electric work, metal work, gardening or pottery making, as decided by states and local communities and as mapped by local skilling needs.

A practice-based curriculum for Grades 6-8 will be appropriately designed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training.

The policy suggests students participate in a 10-day bagless period sometime during Classes 6-8 where they intern with local vocational experts such as carpenters, gardeners, potters, artists,etc. Similar internship opportunities to learn vocational subjects may be made available to students throughout Grades 6-12, including holiday periods. Vocational courses will also be made available online.

Bagless days will be encouraged throughout the year for various types of enrichment activities involving arts, quizzes, sports, and vocational crafts, the policy suggests. The policy also lays special emphasis on developing innate talents in every student. These talents might express themselves in the form of varying interests, dispositions, and capacities. Those students that show particularly strong interests and capacities in a given realm must be encouraged to pursue that realm beyond the general school curriculum.

BAGLESS DAYS WILL BE ENCOURAGED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES, THE NEW POLICY SUGGESTS