5 days ago
Ludhiana: Hunar Sikhya Schools push for skill-based education for Class 11
In a push towards skill-based education, four government schools in the district were chosen under the Punjab government's pilot project 'Hunar Sikhya Schools' (HSS) designed to equip Class 11 students with industry-relevant skills. The initiative has seen overwhelming response from students, particularly in trades related to finance and digital marketing. Students at Government Senior Secondary School, PAU, during a skill-based course class under Hunar Sikhya Project in Ludhiana on Tuesday. (Manish/HT)
The selected schools include Government Senior Secondary Schools (GSSS) at the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Dhandari Khurd, Hambran, and the Girls' School in Sahnewal. Each of these schools is offering two specialised trades under the scheme.
At PAU school, the trades offered are Digital Design and Development (DDD) and Banking, Finance Services and Insurance (BFSI). According to principal Pardeep Sharma, while 25 seats were sanctioned for each trade, the demand for DDD exceeded expectations, forcing the school to increase capacity. Instructor Jatin Arora explained that the DDD trade covers website design and mobile app development, both with and without coding, and equips students with real-world skills that allow them to work independently after completing Class 12.
GSSS Dhandari Khurd is offering DDD and Beauty and Wellness trades. Of the 25 seats available in Beauty and Wellness, 18 have already been filled, while in DDD, nearly all the seats are taken, indicating strong interest from students.
The girls' school in Sahnewal is running BFSI and Healthcare Sciences, where nearly all 25 seats in each trade have been filled. GSSS Hambran is offering the same two trades. Here, BFSI is proving more popular than Healthcare Sciences. An instructor noted that the banking course is attractive because it trains students for six different job roles, including tally operator, account assistant, mutual fund agent, LIC agent among others.
However, while the project guidelines require two dedicated teachers per school, the posts are yet to be filled by the department. For now, vocational instructors and deputed teachers are keeping the trades functional. Principal Sharma expressed hope that permanent teaching staff will be appointed soon to strengthen the initiative further.
