EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LIVELIHOOD SCHOOLS

DR. INDRA BIR SINGH YADAV

       The tendency of linking education with economic is of recent origin. The old concept was “Education for the sake of education”. In other words education promotes only physical, mental, moral and spiritual development of a child. Hence, education was considered an item of expenditure only. As such, whenever need arose for thrifts or cuts in the budget allocations, expenditure on education was readily curtailed. The reason was that educational planning was not correlated integrally with educational planning or total national planning.

Previously economic was considered as a science of wealth only but now a day’s almost all modern economists regard economic as not only a science of wealth only but it is considered as vitally and essentially related to all those activities of human beings which are concerned with the production, consumption, exchange and distribution of wealth. Thus, broadened in its filed, economic becomes integrally connected with education, which guides and modifies the activities of human beings in various ways and in diverse areas of activity. The reason for this is that education modifies the activities of human beings in various ways and in diverse areas of activity. The reason for this is that education modifies human behaviour in all aspects by developing his mental powers of thinking, planning and evaluating so that so that he is able to lead a very effective life promoting social welfare with his own progress and development. It may be borne in mind that education discharges this important function by establishing schools, colleges, libraries providing required aids and appointing teaching personnel. For this, vast sums of recurring and increasing amounts of money are needed. Thus education seeks the help of economics to achieve its aims of National Developments in all fields of national life and all spheres of national development including economic prosperity   and national security.

Hence there is an intimate relationship between education and economics. Due to this relationship where as on one hand the economy of a particular society influences its education, on the other hand the return of education of their society. In this sense, education and economics are integrally correlated as are the two sides of a coin. Now it is not regarded as a thing of consumption yielding long term results.

Kothari Commission (1964-66) emphasized the vocational education considering educational expenses as investment. It included work experience in the curriculum and education came to be linked with life. Increase in the productivity was looked upon as the aim of education. For this reason the economic development of the country could become strong because education is the most important means of development out of all important means of national economic development.

Education is an instrument for economic development. It is the concrete base for development. More investment does not contribute to economic development. The production will remain incomplete in the absence of educated persons. Money, time and energy will be misused. Education is the only source, which imparts knowledge and training to the people and plays a positive and constructive role towards national development.

Education confers great indirect benefits even on the ordinary working man. Thus education can become a means of economic development and increase personal income because the person receives education and gets a job, his income increases by production with the increase in income, he becomes economically prosperous .Education provides an opportunity to the individual to think about future needs in addition to his immediate needs and develops his abilities to solve his problems. It also provides a basis to his material wealth. Skilled man makes progress in his standard of life by increasing his productivity. Skilled manpower is contributed through education.

Curriculum as per the recommendations of Kothari Commission should be including work experience. In the light of this, schools/boards introduced a subject named as Socially Useful Productive Works (SUPW) in their school time table .Even vocationally trained teachers were posted in the schools for this subject. But the reality is that it is treated as free or games period by the teachers. It has become a synonym as Some Useful Periods Wasted. The curriculum should be related to the life of the students, prepare them for a living and become a means of national development. In 10+2+3 pattern of education, importance should be given to work experience, science & productivity; we know that the productivity is one of the components in economic growth.

        Education will have to reframe its objectives to make it an effective means of economic development. It will have to change its form so that it may be according to the needs and ambitions of the common man. This aim will develop the sense of dignity of labour. Here comes the concept of Livelihood Schools (Li-School). In order to meet the global demand and the new challenges thrown to the Indian industry and also to generate employment, the concept of livelihood development has been given top priority by the Government of Sikkim. The youths of Li-Schools possess required skills, ability to grasp opportunities which offer economic advantages, orientation towards applying knowledge to maximize gains, business skills and leadership qualities and above all confidence that one can make things happen. These Li-Schools motivate and guide the youths to enable them to take a step forward and take up a career of self employment and setup a small or micro enterprise as an entrepreneur as well as channelize the trainees for useful and productive purposes.

In these Li-Schools the capacities of the unemployed are to be developed to enable them to sustain themselves economically and it is the first such scheme in the country. These Schools are helping the unemployed youths of State to groom their talents so as to imbibe in them the ability to harness their skills and become self- reliant. The Government Policy is to give preference to local resources and utilize the services from all sectors and within the Government Sector.

All the 30 Li-Schools opened will function under State Institute of Capacity Building,(SICB) Karfectar, South Sikkim. The Institute and all Li-school will be Governed by a Examining  cum affiliating Board i.e. STATE BOARD OF LIVELIHOOD SCHOOL, SIKKIM (SBLSS) which has been notified vide Notification No. 246/GEN/DOP dated 09.04.2010, Government of Sikkim. 

With the vision that, the Sikkimese Youths may be capable to do something of their own after the training in various Livelihood Schools spread all over the State the various curriculums are designed in such a way so as to ensure the quality of content, including practical training and effective modes of delivery and On –Job- Training (OJT) etc. Apart from assisting the prospective trainees, the Li-Schools remain in close contact with employing establishments for job placements of trainees. The Li-Schools /Institute have collaborated with such Service Partners who can employ them after the training.

The Li-Schools   identify existing capacity building resource institutions and entities and experts within the country and even overseas and establish appropriate National/International linkages and network which may help in addressing proper and successful transitional needs of the youths of the State. In the process, the State Institute of Capacity Building has collaborated with Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Industries, Government of India   and Apparel Design and Training Centre, Kolkata under the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.

Similarly, Institute for Livelihood Education and Development (iLEAD), an institute for livelihood education and development is a flagship programme of Aide et Action. Aide at Action believes that there is a correlation between livelihood and education. Livelihood contributes to the attainment of education and education in turn contributes significantly to enhance livelihood opportunities. With this background, Aide et Action has promoted this project (iLEAD) which is aiming at providing livelihood support to drop out youth of 18 to 28 years from marginalized sections of society through employability training in various trades.iLEAD has 11 centers including one residential in Rajasthan, 34 centers including 17 main centres, 8 satellite centers in Gujarat and 2 centers in Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

        The present employment scenario in our State, Country or at International level is very unusual. There so many people unemployed and at the same time there are large number of jobs openings. How can economy policy affect unemployment? The need is having skills. Six crores skill persons are needed in the world. The job providing sectors are unable to get young skill peoples. This is the age of Employability Skills. Employability Skills are critical skills need in the workplace, whether self-employed or working for others. It is very important that schools and institutions provide the basic employability skills so that all students and adults are equipped to handle the complexities of their jobs throughout their lives. In fact, employability skills are the effective use of knowledge to maintain an edge over others with the same knowledge. These skills will help the students to move from theoretical to action when they will join any organization as an employee. To be skilled you must be able to undertake a task competently; it is not about luck or a one-time effort. Skills are learned and repeatable. In short, Skills is what someone can do with their knowledge.

The economists are asking to produce skilled talents. The skills of the students can be developed through the medium of training and they can be made an integral and stable part of their personality so that they may become their permanent asset. In the traditional schools, there should be teaching through Experiment, Project, Activity Method, Jurisprudential Inquiry Model of Teaching (JIMOT), Learning by Doing, Heuristic Method etc. These methods of teaching will help to develop the ability to think critically, act logically, evaluate situations to make decisions, reason and make sound decisions which will be a valuable asset  for the students to find suitable jobs in prevailing  jobs scenario. The physical and mental skills can be also developed through the medium of proper scientific methods. This can play important roles in Economic Development.

References:

1.   ASPIRE News Magazine

2.   Aide et Action, Reflection, Quartely News Magazine, Jaipur Region, September 2009.

3.   Educational Administration Planning Supervision and Financing by S. D. Khanna,

V. K .Saxena, T.P.Lamba & V. Murthy

           4. Sikkim Herald, Vol.XLV.59 dated 1^st June, 2001