PANJIM: Reacting to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stating that the students passing out from colleges were unaware of Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC) conducting exams for government jobs, stakeholders agreed that awareness gaps needed to be criticality filled.
Secretary (Higher Education) Prasad Lolayekar, IAS, said, “Career guidance or counselling will be introduced in every school. It will be from the high school level.”
Former GPSC Chairman Prakash Desai said, “To some extent what the Chief Minister says is right. The issue arises at the college level. Teachers themselves may not know. Teachers are not there only to teach syllabus and they are supposed to go beyond that. They should know what the opportunities are, what the competitive exams are and how to do that. This
also becomes part of teachers’ duty.”
Desai said, “Students are not that voracious readers now. Teachers are supposed to do that. They also have a moral duty to guide the students. This is happening in all streams of education.”
The former GPSC Chairman said, “There is no exposure for students and there is no attempt being made for that.”
Educationist and former principal Prabhakar Timble said, “It shows that educational institutions have to make career guidance and vocational counselling part of their co-curricular activity. The college activity has to be academic and co-academic. But from academics, we are moving to some kind of social club. We require more academic and co-academic activities.”
Former Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education chairman Pandurang Nadkarni said, “The students of Goa somehow lack competitive spirit. What the Chief Minister has said is true. Most of our students do not know about the competitive examinations conducted by the Goa Public Service Commission or Staff Selection Commission, or even the Union Public Service Commission. Over the years there have been several efforts by the government to provide information about courses available or careers available.”
Nadkarni said, “Somewhere in 2012 or 2013, Goa Education Development Corporation had trained several teachers and provided CDs containing information about what to do after 12th standard. But those trained teachers must have retired now. There has to be awareness among the students. The government should give scholarships for new and innovative courses rather than giving for traditional courses.”
Former headmaster and national and State teacher awardee, Gromiko Fernandes said, “The chief minister is right. The children are not aware of many career opportunities nor are the teachers. They are not being given training either. There can be experts for giving career guidance. They can be appointed for at least a cluster of schools so that students can get some idea of it. The children of today know only how to mug up the syllabus so that they can score a certain percentage of marks.”
Former headmaster Filastro Cardozo said, “There is a need to have educational awareness. People in Goa are not fully aware of how to go about it. Awareness has to be created. People have to be interested in it. There are some States where there are many IAS officers from the same village. They are focused. Here our children are not focused due to lack of awareness. There has to be career guidance and the students have to be motivated.
Goan youth ignorant of GPSC, UPSC exams, laments CM
SANKHALI: Expressing his concern over ignorance of Goan youth about competitive exams conducted by Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC) and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) etc, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday asked them to acquaint themselves with skill sets which will make them employable.
Sawant pointed out that students passing out from degree colleges were unaware of GPSC and UPSC conducing civil service examinations and appealed to them to start preparations for it from now.
He also announced that his government is ready to make requisite modifications in the syllabus to make students passing out from academic institutions in the State industry ready.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Shiksha Udyojak Sangam, an Industry-Academia Connect, Converge 2024 organised by the Directorate of Higher Education and Goa State Higher Education Council in association with Training, Internship and Placement (TIP) Cell and the Institute Innovation Council (IIC), Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Sankhali.
Sawant said that there was a gap between syllabus and job requirements and since now it is competitive era, students should be prepared for it. “Start preparing for Goa State Selection Commission (GSSC) and GPSC now. GSSC will start recruiting all category posts from now onwards,” he said.
He said that for last so many years, students passing out from degree colleges were unaware what he/she will do. They were unaware of the opportunities available to them in the State. There is scope in tourism, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding and service sectors, he said, urging students to pursue their training in these sectors.
Congratulating the organisers for holding the Converge 2024, Sawant said that Shiksha Udyojak Sangam, the first industry-academic connect is a remarkable initiative to organise centralised training internship and placement cell in the Directorate of Higher Education in collaboration with the Government College, Sankhali. `
Highlighting the dearth of industry ready workforce in pharma, tourism, IT & ITES, service industries etc, Sawant said, “We will put in our syllabus what the industries require.”
“I am sure the dedication and hard work pout in for this initiative shall bear fruits with emergence of skilled manpower, future employers, entrepreneurs, aligning perfectly with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047,” he added.
