SMARIKA workeducation | Page 15

Unit II Work Education- An Essential Curricular Area The National Policy on Education has given a clear direction that work Education is viewed as purposive and meaningful manual work: organized as an integral part of the learning process and resulting in either goods or services useful to the community, should be considered as an essential component at all stages of education to be provided through well structured and graded programmes. The Policy also has laid down that it would comprise activities in accordance with the interests, abilities and needs of students, the level of skills and knowledge to be upgraded with the stages of education. It is expected that this experience would be helpful on his entry into the workforce. Pre-vocational programmes provided at the secondary stage are expected to facilitate the choice of vocational courses at the senior school stage. Place in the Scheme of Studies As such the Board has prescribed the following as compulsory learning areas at the Secondary stage with relative time allocations: Area Periods per week Two languages 14 Mathematics 7 Science 9 Social Science 9 Work Education 2 + 2 (outside school hours) Art Education 2 Physical and Health Education 2 Total 45 At the senior school stage, Work Education is again compulsory and its allocation of time vis-à-vis other subjects is given below: 7