Can school toppers taste success in later life?

Our education system is not weaved in a way to attract employment. In an ideal situation, education should be replete with opportunities that will help students apply to practical use. Our country has laid the greatest emphasis on studying books. Those with more memory and intelligence will top the exams. But it would be misleading to assume that these toppers would fare well when it comes to employment.

Most students learn driving only after completing their formal school education. These topics excite students and could have been included in the school syllabus for better output. Plumbing and electrical work are also taught during the education period in some Western countries. This will practically help in developing a more efficient youth generation. It is reasonable to expect that the Cabinet has approved the establishment of 25 Industrial Parks in 25 campuses of the state in the current financial year to provide students with exposure to industry and employment. This is the first such initiative in the country.

Industries Minister P. Rajeev says that it will be possible to solve the shortage of land for industrial purposes and use the unused land under educational institutions for industrial development. Universities, colleges, polytechnics, ITIs etc. having a minimum of five acres of land can start industrial parks. Two acres would be enough to start standard design factories. About 70 educational institutions and two universities have already expressed interest. For those who get permission, the government will allocate up to one and a half crores for roads, electricity, waste disposal etc. Funding for production units in parks is also under consideration. These parks will help create part-time employment opportunities for the students on the campus where they study.

Internships can also be done without going to far away places. It has turned into a normal that new projects under the government will start well but gradually tend to stagnate due to lack of vision and many other reasons. The government should not allow the same flubs to happen again and the necessary precautions and loopholes should be prepared by the Industries Department at the outset.

These industrial parks can provide basic training to the students, to prepare them for the future in many ways. It can be considered to help foster entrepreneurship among students and strengthen industry-academia linkages. A committee consisting of principal secretaries of various departments will approve the developer permit.

The touted project if turns successful will soon spread across the country while Kerala’s name will tower among other states for its innovative approach in education sector.