Girl students in government schools in Madhya Pradesh will soon be able to study Beauty and Wellness courses, with the state government planning to introduce vocational education from Class 9 onwards. The initiative, launched under the Kamal Nath government, aims to strengthen skill development and provide career-oriented education to students.
The School Education Department has begun preparations to introduce Beauty and Wellness courses in government girls’ schools from the 2020–21 academic session. The course curriculum has been developed by the Pandit Sundarlal Sharma Vocational Institute. The programme will be offered as a vocational course from Classes 9 to 12, enabling students to gain both academic and practical exposure.
Along with Beauty and Wellness, the state government plans to introduce several other skill-based vocational courses in schools to enhance employability among girl students.
Two-Year Vocational Programme
The Beauty and Wellness course, along with other vocational subjects, will be offered as a two-year programme, beginning in Class 9 and concluding in Class 10. Students will be required to appear for examinations at the end of the course, and those who successfully pass will receive a certification. Initially, the courses will be rolled out as a pilot project, with the possibility of expansion based on student response.
Existing Vocational Courses in Schools
Currently, government schools in Madhya Pradesh already offer vocational courses in Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare, Physical Education and Sports, Travel and Tourism, Telecommunications, Food Preservation, and Agriculture.
From the new academic session, four new trades—Agriculture, Plumbing, Sewing Machine Operator, and Automotive—will be introduced at the Class 9 level. For Class 10, five vocational trades have been approved: Information Technology, Beauty and Wellness, Electronics and Hardware, Retail, and Security.
A key feature of these vocational programmes is that marks obtained in vocational examinations will be added to students’ academic report cards. For Classes 9 and 10, vocational subjects will carry 100 marks, including practical assessments.
