addition to providing higher education at the Graduate, Post-Graduate
and Doctoral levels, has a strong presence in the skill development
and vocational education sectors across the country. This is reflected
in the number of Diplomas and Certificates awarded by the University
during the last five Convocations. Out of the seven lakh
qualifications awarded by the University in the last five years, 2.5
lakh (35 percent) were graduates and above, and 4.5 lakh (65 percent)
were Certificates and Diplomas," said VC Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan
Pillai.
This emphasis on skill development is well in line with the objectives
of the University delineated in the IGNOU Act, 1985, "To strengthen
and diversify the Degree, Certificate and Diploma courses related to
the needs of employment and necessary for building the economy of the
country on the basis of its natural and human resources; provide
education and training in the various arts, crafts and skills of the
country, raising their quality and improving their availability to the
people."
A seamless transition from the Certificate/Diploma to higher-level
university degrees is also intended through such activities. The
course-credit pattern and the modularity of the various courses, which
constitute several programmes leading to a qualification, were in
vogue in IGNOU from its very inception.
In this connection, it is very important that the University system
should promote the Diploma to Degree transition for aspiring Diploma
holders.
In the technical education system, there are avenues in specific
universities for Diploma holders to join at the second or third year
of the Engineering Degree Programme. A similar pattern is necessary
for the conventional universities and the Open University System as
well.
The fact that a vast majority of these Diploma holders are working
people from industry or working in grassroots-level organizations
lends further credibility to this proposal.
Making Diploma or Advanced Diploma holders eligible for admission to a
University Degree has been an established practice in higher education
systems all over the world.
In the US University system, 46 per cent of the admissions to
University Degree programmes are through the Associate Degree (Credit
equivalence to the Advanced Diploma) programme of the vast and robust
network of Community Colleges over there.
This will be a major step towards linking the skill development sector
and vocational education with higher education, that is the major
forte of the University System.
In the proposed National Vocational Qualification Framework (NVQF) of
the Ministry of Human Resource Development, this transfer from the
vocational sector to the higher education sector is being facilitated.
Certificate (16 credits), Diploma (32 credits), Advanced Diploma or
Associate Degree (64 credits) - which is a terminal qualification -
are the qualifications prevalent in the skill development and
vocational education sectors.
The difference between the Advanced Diploma and Associate Degree
specifications are that the Associate Degree provides additional
content, which will make the candidates well-prepared for University
education in the concerned discipline.
A look at the Statistical Bulletin on the 2010 status of the Open
University System of China indicates that the Associate Degree, which
is in between the Certificate and Bachelor's Degree, is the largest
qualification base over there.
In 2010, 4,12,400 students graduated with an Associate Degree, 6,914
received a Bachelor's Degree and 38,000 received Certificates from the
China Open University System.
"Similar possibilities of acquiring two-year Associate Degree/Advanced
Diploma qualifications and making students employable in the
work-sector and at the same time giving them opportunity to acquire a
higher qualification from a University, as and when they want, are in
existence in all developed and fast-developing countries."
"IGNOU has initiated the two-year Associate Degree Programme through
the Community Colleges in line with the recommendations of the
National Knowledge Commission and the Planning Commission, Government
of India. After a two-year-long academic deliberation involving
expertise from all over the country, we formally launched the
programme in 2008. The first Associate Degrees was awarded in the
22ndConvocation of the University," he added.
Such efforts in skill development that provide multiple horizontal and
vertical pathways for mobility are very necessary for making people
employable and enhancing the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER).
The Governments of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, Indian Army, Indian
Navy, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Jindal Education
Initiative, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, Apparel
Promotion and Exports Council (APEC) of India and about 300 Civil
Society Organizations in the public and private sector are the
partners of IGNOU in this nationwide Community College Initiative.
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