Vocational education is an integral part of the curriculum at KISS. Along with formal education, it plays an important role in empowerment of tribal students. For this reason, vocational education has been nicely introduced since inception of the institute. A remarkable feature of implementation of this important component at KISS is that it enables the students to ‘earn while they learn’. For this purpose, all 16,500 tribal students of the institute are divided in four age groups- sub junior, junior, senior, super senior. Different level of vocational training is imparted for each of these age groups. Every student undergoes vocational education in one of the 50 trades offered as per his or her talent.
As a result of this activity, products are made in large scale. These products are readily saleable in the market. KIIT, a large University with an area of 25 sq. km, 17000 students and 5000 staff, needs these products in large number and is a ready market. It has been decided by Management to distribute one third of the surplus from such sale of products among children engaged in a particular vocational education.
| For example, about 1000 students are involved in painting. Sale proceeds from this activity exceed Rs. One Crore, out of which Rs. 25 lakh is surplus. One-third of this figure, about Rs. 8 lakh, is distributed among 1000 students undergoing vocational education in painting. This way, each student manages to make Rs. 700/- to Rs. 1000/- per month. On one hand students are getting free education, and on the other each child manages to earn upto Rs. 1000/- per month, realizing the goal of ‘earn while you learn’. |
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Students have the option to send this money to their parents living in villages in abject poverty or to deposit in their bank accounts for their future. More importantly, children are able to acquire skill in a vocational trade so that when he or she passes out is empowered with a skill that will enable them to earn their livelihood.
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