{"id":106267,"date":"2020-09-04T14:18:08","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T21:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=106267"},"modified":"2020-09-04T14:18:08","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T21:18:08","slug":"education-reforms-technical-vocational-education-and-training-in-high-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/09\/04\/education-reforms-technical-vocational-education-and-training-in-high-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"EDUCATION REFORMS: TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN HIGH SCHOOLS"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Before\nelected to the president position, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa broadly talked about\ntechnical vocational education and training (TVET). After the general election\nin 2020, the president has appointed two state ministers for education reforms\nand TVET system development, in addition to the minister of education.  TVET system has spread in many countries as\nit directly related to economic development and growth, many western countries\nspend billions of US dollars for TVET, and UNESCO has developed policies and\nprocedures for TVET, which is the most vital aspect of education reforms in\nmany countries. Although developed countries spend billions of dollars on TVET\nsystem many developing countries including Sri Lanka spend an insufficient\namount on the TVET system and have not developed necessary regulation and awareness\nfor people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Promoting\nvocational education and training in Sri Lanka concentrated in the report of\nMatching Employment Expectations and Opportunities by Prof.Dudley Seers and\nWhen Mr.IMRA Irriyagolla was the minister of education in 1965 concentrated in\neducation reforms outlining to TVET, however, left politics in the country went\nagainst vocational education in high schools without giving reasons for the\nopposition.  The views against Vocational\nEducation in High Schools had been used by JVP to attract rural students in the\n1970s in universities and high schools to attract students for their vicious\nactions. It was wrong and now JVP has achieved the results of vicious actions\nin the past and stupid thinking at present. (To get a simple understanding of\nvocational education please read Hennigan, J (2001), The Business of\nVocational Education. ERIC Digest, ED 467982, Eric Clearing House for Community\nColleges, Los Angeles, CA).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About\nthree decades ago vocational education was relatively new to secondary schools\nand traditionally, high schools have been charged with the delivery of a broad-based\ngeneral education.  General education is\ndefined as the creation and acquisition of knowledge irrespective of uses to\nwhich it may be subsequently put. Vocational education is defined as the\nacquisition of knowledge relevant to employment. The role of vocational\neducation is to stress the acquisition of demonstrable skills (competencies)\nand positive attitudes towards employment and the application of values in the\nwork environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crittenden\n(1996) distinguishes between general and vocational education on the\ncharacteristics of each.  Vocational\neducation concerns with broadening understanding related to human vocations\nalong with the major theoretical perspectives on various vocations.  Crittenden (1996) further explains that\ntheoretical perspectives are selected for their relevance to practice and are\nstudied in so as they contribute to more efficient performance and, if the\nconception of the program not too narrowly utilitarian, to greater insight and\nunderstanding regarding a practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nare diverse views on general education and vocational education. Famous\neducation policy-maker in Australia Keating, M (1996) explained two terms\nconcentrating characteristics of each including common to both. VET has\ndistinctive features such as a discrete segment of learning, or modules and\nassessment based on demonstration of specified competencies, but its\nidentifying characteristics is that is directed towards the need of the\nindustry and the workplace: the authority for VET lies with industry, which\nsets its standards.  General education overlaps\nwith VET, but in its more traditional academic forms, it is just as different\nfrom traditional academic subjects based on the abstract form of knowledge and\nlearning\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\nProf. Keating (1996) indicated the relationship between vocational education\nand general education can be shown as follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRAINING                            VOCATIONAL                                 GENERAL<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                EDUCATION                                    EDUCATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industry\nTraining                    Key Competencies                              Subjects<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Workplace\ndirected                Theory and Practice                            Academic<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modules                                  World of Work                                    Abstract    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why\nshould high school deliver vocational education may be a question because the\ntraditional delivery of education is to consists of general education. Parents\nin Sri Lanka have specific desires to educate kids to be medical doctors or\nengineers (some parents were beguiled by crooks in overseas soil engineers and\nsaw doctors for marriages),  The current\neconomic issues, especially unemployment in school leavers force Sri Lanka to\nadopt vocational education in high schools and other reasons such as increase\nretention rate of students in high schools until complete year 12 (G.C.E\nAdvanced Level) in a more diverse student cohort in high schools, the collapse\nof the full-time employment, and to use high school students for flexible\nworkforces, increase in the influence of the world of work on senior secondary\nschool curriculum and changing the traditional attitudes on high school\neducation are argued factors in many countries.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis a wide debate on offering vocational education in high schools, education\nexperts argue that vocational education is technocratic, specific, practical,\nand managerial while the general education is democratic, egalitarian,\ncritical, and collaborative. The desire of kids in Sri Lanka shows that kids\nwant to engage in employment soon after secondary education and unemployed\nyoung people have become victims of a political issue in the country and after\n1970 school levers had to go behind politicians to find a job, which is a\nfundamental right irrespective of politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\na high school converts as a technical high school that needs to incorporate the\nVET curriculum, which is written in a competency-based training format and\nteachers in general education have difficulties adapting CBT curriculum that\nindicates a broader aspect of curriculum features (Course, Module, Duration,\nModule Code, Introduction, Rationale, Curriculum principle, Purpose of Module\/\nCourse, Pre-Requisites, Relationship to Competency\/ Industry Standard,\nConditions to Offer, Learning Outcomes, Assessment Criteria, Contents, Teaching\nStrategies, Assessment Methods, Teaching\/ Learning Resources) and teachers need\nto train for CBT teaching and assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nother significant issues are resources in schools. To successfully offer\nvocational education in secondary schools need resources that the ability to\nmeet the minimum human and physical resources requirements.  High schools need workshops and workshop\nmanagers to offer VET courses (Certificate 1 and Certificate 2 consistent with\nUNESCO standards).  If industrial firms\nare closer to the high schools, schools can get assistance from industrial\nfirms if the school maintains successful industry relationships or there are\ncloser high schools with resources co-operatively use workshops in schools\ntransporting students. In this process, there are safety procedures that\nteachers have to maintained and evaluate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With\nresources, the other issue is the ability of schools to implement flexible\ntimetables. According to my experience, many high schools are divided into\ngeneral education areas and vocational education areas. Students study general\neducation until 12.00-noon and after lunch students transfer to the vocational\narea and study until 4.00 pm vocational programs. Flexible delivery is commonly\nused when offering the VET curriculum. \nAccording to flexible delivery, the training is provided the way that\nbest meets the needs of individuals. Self-placed learning, flexible entry, and\nexit, RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) are recognized. As the private\ntuition business is strong and beguiled parents offering vocational education\nin high schools might be objected by private tuition business.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students\nin VET in high schools need contextual learning and assessment that means\nstudents are assessed and learned in school and workplace and VET certificates\nneed to certify student\u2019s competencies, in simple what can perform by\ncertificate holders. Vocational training massively supports students to perform\nwell in higher education and to gain multi-skills.  Many developed countries offer double degrees\nlike MBBS and Bachelor in Nursing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many\ncountries in the world have developed a more authentic work setting and a\nproject approach is made to assess students. \nAccording to my experience, the project approach is highly successful in\nmany countries because students like it. \nStudents gain practical skills on how to develop projects incorporating\nteam views, allocating project roles, applying knowledge and skills, project\nquality, application of values (safety, do your best, inclusion, etc.).  Most of these value education is lacking in\nSri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nthere is criticism from the American environment.  While this vocational education in high\nschools approach is admirable its effectiveness is limited as it lacks the\nauthenticity of context. In the USA Committee for Economic Development has\nlevied a serious indictment on many school-based VET programs stating that they\nare almost worthless and a cruel hoax on young learners looking to acquire\nmarketable skills.  The commission\nadvised to re-directed to re-shape programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nhave training experience in Sri Lanka and hope that vocational education in\nhigh schools could be used to enhance productivity and changing the attitudes\nof parents, employees, and the quality of people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS Before elected to the president position, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa broadly talked about technical vocational education and training (TVET). After the general election in 2020, the president has appointed two state ministers for education reforms and TVET system development, in addition to the minister of education.  TVET system has spread in many countries […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-edward-theophilus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106267\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}