The Indian education system's heavy bias toward academic degrees is unlike that of most developed countries
                     The Indian education system's heavy bias toward academic 
degrees is unlike that of most developed countries
Chaitanya Kumari
Writes informational articles on ancient Indian 
artisan, 64 Kala or Chausat Kala demerits of 
Macualay education  along with others articles 
on finance, health, sanathana dharma and 
wisdom. 
There is a heavy bias when it comes to the Indian education system. India’s 
education system places too much emphasis on the classic academic 
degrees and too little on the level of vocational education, thereby limiting 
its ability to use its large labour market effectively. This stands in sharp 
contrast to the highly developed economies like Germany, the United 
States, Japan, and France. These countries have strong technical and 
vocational systems that contribute directly to their industrial growth and 
development.
Traditionally, there has always been a preference for degrees like B.Tech, 
M.Tech, B.Com, and BA. This mentality is deeply ingrained as one of the key 
markers of social mobility and career success. While vocational streams 
such as polytechnics as it is are often viewed as the last resort or second 
alternatives.
The facts and figures tell a clear and vivid story. Around 75% to 85% 
of post-secondary students in India go to university and seek higher 
education programs. While the percentage that enters the technical 
and vocational fields is only 15% to 25%. By contrast, most Western 
countries like Germany maintain a near-even balance between 
vocational training and university education. In our neighbouring 
country, like China, about 40% to 50% of students enter vocational 
education during their post-secondary years. Even in most advanced 
nations such as Japan and the United States, there is a better 
balance between vocational and technical education, which benefits 
both students and the economy as a whole.
There are 40 to 45 million students enrolled in higher education at 
the present moment, and most of them pursue degrees in science, 
commerce, arts, engineering, management, and related academic 
disciplines. However, the expanse of vocational institutions like the 
Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), apprenticeships, polytechnics, and 
skill-development programs still remains relatively small. 
For this reason, there is a huge dearth of formally trained skilled 
workers and technicians who can contribute to the growth of the 
country’s industrial sectors.
It is surprising to note that only about 4% to 5% of the workforce in 
India receives formal vocational training, which can be an advantage 
for the industrial sectors. On the other hand, countries like South 
Korea, Germany, and the United States boast of around 90%, 70%, 
and 50% participation in vocational training, respectively. Such an 
imbalance has led to a major disparity in our country’s labour 
market.
Millions of students graduate every year with academic degrees in 
India. However, employers around the world still find that there is a 
consistent shortage of professionals and skilled experts like 
electricians, welders, machinists, maintenance technicians, 
healthcare technicians, logistics specialists, construction 
supervisors, and machine operators. Hence, there is a huge 
unemployment problem in the country. What seems like a shortage 
of jobs is nothing but a shortage of people with the right skill sets 
required by industries looking to hire eligible people. 
This is the major reason why it is so very important to emphasize 
the significance of vocational training in India in the coming years. 
The gap between the labour market and the education sector can 
be minimized with stronger industry-university partnerships. 
Moreover, there must be more mandatory internships to bridge any 
gaps and to encourage more and more students to consider skill 
development and vocational training.
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