Education and Skill development: Key to India’s Growth

Education is referred to as the great equalizer. Poverty thrives in part on inequality, and good quality education can act as a leveler and equalizer within society.

Schools can address poverty through teaching social justice, and offering equal academic opportunities, but to what extent can schools and education systems close the achievement gap that exists between students who live in poverty and their more affluent peers?

Anoop Bishnoi, Chairman of The JDS School, Village Mehrajpur, Distt Fazilka, Punjab, said, “Schools can only have limited effect on students who live in poverty. Unless school improvement is combined with broader social and economic reforms, schools can only have limited influence on closing the achievement gap between students who live in poverty and their affluent peers. Without combined efforts, not only will this situation remain unsolved but will also cause us to unfairly condemn our schools and teachers.”

Reforms must happen, not just in schools but in the broader society as well. We need collaboration between educational leaders. We need to use education to reduce poverty and its causes. There is a need for policies and programs that are tailored to the context, based on evidence and involve participation.

“If the education is designed and implemented in a way that it responds to the needs, challenges, and opportunities of the context and the target group, then for sure it can be an effective way to tackle poverty,” adds Anoop. “For that, we need a holistic and an integrated approach. One that takes into account the economic, social, political, and environmental aspects that influence access to education, and its quality, relevance, and impact.”

The truth is, education alone can’t put a roof over one’s head or food on the table; a job does. The problem is that our talks normally revolve around two solutions: creating more jobs and skilling youth, which is like two planes taking off from the same runway at the same time.

Our government is pouring crores into skill development programs, but skills don’t create jobs by themselves. And what everyone is forgetting is that there may be no jobs for the skills that may be imparted, as employment opportunities differ from state to state and even between cities. Our government is organized vertically, while skills are a horizontal problem. As per the Indian Employment Report 2024, 83% of the jobless population is youth.

There is a need to address challenges in skill development. Bridging gaps, improving industry engagement, establishing a quality assurance framework, leveraging technology, expanding apprenticeship opportunities, and prioritizing equity are some of the critical steps in this direction. There is also a need to educate potential entrepreneurs by facilitating mentorship and enhancing ease of doing business. Most importantly, our higher education should be in touch with the skill requirements in the job market; students should be given knowledge about industry-relevant courses. The country should focus on an ‘upskilling and reskilling’ ecosystem.

Another major problem with India is the unorganized sector, which has over 80% of workers, mostly migrant people, and women – all marginalized from employment rights, benefits, and social protection. Investment in skills for vulnerable groups can make employment growth more inclusive. India’s poor need wages and jobs, not handouts, and not just any jobs but dignified jobs, which include provisions such as health benefits, workplace safety, and social security. Conversations around informal workers’ rights and adhering to labor standards must be normalized, only then these people can be moved outside the poverty trap.