2500 youth undergoing vocational training in limbo
View(s):An arrears of Rs 57 Million in state institutions that train students who drop out of school in Grade 10, threatens to fracture the 13 years of schooling for all school children.
The Education Times learned that the Education Ministry’s failure to pay the promised Rs. 25,000 for each student in vocational training institutions has resulted in the institutions refusing to continue training their students.
As a result, around 2500 students undergoing the programmes were in a limbo that could negatively affect their educational future.
In 2017, the previous government made it compulsory for all children to attend school for 13 years.
Under this initiative, students who drop out after the Ordinary Level (O/L) examinations were given the opportunity to continue their education in one of 15 state institutions including the vocational training centres, national sports colleges, the national youth council and construction technology institutes.
This initiative which began as a pilot project in 42 schools in the country, was later on conducted in 146 national schools and 270 provincial schools.
After a practical training period of two years the students would be granted a NDQ Level 4 certificate, that would allow them to secure skilled jobs.
However the Education Ministry’s nonpayment of fees had resulted in many such institutions refusing to continue their services unless payments were made.
The Education Times also learned that these institutions had requested students to pay a fee of Rs. 25,000 each month to continue their training.
In recent talks with the Ministry, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) pointed out students’ inability to pay their course fees. The CTU had also requested for the programme to be continued. – CC