However, this spread is not in line with the needs of the job market. Training of semi-literate students not completing courses also remains a problem.
New possibilities need to be considered to improve the status of technicians and their career opportunities. Success depends on Pakistan creating demand-oriented vocational and technical education and boosting general education with vocational education and training.
The country urgently needs to introduce a new type of vocational high school that is linked with the private sector.
Between 1992-2002, Pakistan’s education policy focused on setting up a network of technical teacher training institutes, one in each of the four provinces. These were linked with the National Teacher Training College at a federal level.
The policy emphasised setting up trade schools in rural areas, and made it compulsory for students to take one vocational subject as part of general education. The policy promised more opportunities for women in vocational and technical education.
The Vocational Education and Training (VET) curriculum was modernised, and included computer education as a compulsory element. Vocational subjects such as agro-technical education were included in order to increase young people’s employability.
Provincial Boards of Technical and Vocational Education run all vocational and technical institutes and colleges, and the Federal and Provincial Education Ministries provide support.
A new national education policy for 1998-2010 has been formulated to cater for the country’s changing VET needs, incorporating new trends in the market-oriented education system.
|
