Abstract
The failure of the conventional degree programmes to meet the expectations of employers led the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India to launch the scheme of vocationalisation of degree-level education in 1994–1995. The UGC introduced a vocational course named Functional English in some of the undergraduate colleges in the country. The scheme was revised later with the introduction of add-on courses like career-oriented courses in English. The vocationalisation of English Studies in India being one of the less discussed issues, this article critically evaluates its two phases and throws some light on its poor implementation in Indian universities.
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Notes
- 1.
In the second half of twentieth century (i.e. 1951 onwards), the Planning Commission of India started allocating resources for the overall economic development of the country through 5-year plans. The VIII plan, implemented during 1992–1997, emphasised on employment generation and human resource development. The University Grants Commission, New Delhi, the apex body monitoring higher education in India, focussed its attention on providing skill-based training to the Indian youth.
- 2.
The UGC designed a separate course to develop English language communication skills of the UG students in order to make them employable.
- 3.
These Indian studies, surveying inclination of students of English, arrive at a common inference that the students prefer study of language skills over literary works.
- 4.
The structure of UG courses in English differs from one Indian university to another. In a 3-year degree course with English specialisation (similar to Honours), Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University offers only three papers, whereas Savitribai Phule Pune University has six papers, hence the difference in the number of vocational papers as well.
- 5.
Orientation, refresher, short-term courses and summer schools are the training programmes organized by the UGC for the teachers working in the Higher Education Institutions in India. These in-service training programmes update the teachers with the latest developments in the subjects they teach and train them for effective classroom teaching. Completion of these training programmes is mandatory for teachers to get promoted to the next level.
- 6.
Most of the students of conventional degrees commute. Some of them do part-time jobs after college hours.
- 7.
Along with the subject of specialisation (e.g. English major), the students have to opt for papers in other subjects as well at the general level. Functional English is offered in lieu of papers in other subjects.
- 8.
In literature-dominated MA (English) courses, the space for ‘communication skills’ is limited to one or two papers.
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Tasildar, R.B. (2019). Vocationalisation of English Studies in India: A Critique. In: Mahanta, B., Sharma, R. (eds) English Studies in India. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1525-1_17
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