Integration of vocational education from Classes VI to XII, including practical exposure and industry visits, will enhance career awareness of students, the Economic Survey for 2025-26 says, and suggests enhanced technical education at the school level.
The National Education Policy (NEP) recommends the introduction of skill education from Class VI. Skill education, however, is yet to become popular at the school level. The Economic Survey says skill-based education is a vital intervention for children who are out of school or at risk of dropping out.
It quotes the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023-24 and says nearly 2 crore adolescents in the 14-to-18 age group are out of school. The single largest reason for adolescent dropouts is the need to supplement household income, accounting for 44 per cent of dropouts. For girls, domestic and care responsibilities remain a major constraint, affecting over 55 per cent of those who leave school.
The PLFS 2023-24 highlighted the limited coverage of training, with only 0.97 per cent of 14-18-year-olds having received institutional skilling, while nearly 92 per cent had none. Addressing this gap is crucial for leveraging India’s demographic dividend, the Economic Survey says.
“Skill education in schools would equip young people with market-aligned skills, particularly in the service sector, which absorbs over half of the formally trained youth, while reducing dropouts by linking education to economic opportunities. Strengthening the alignment between school education and national skilling priorities is therefore essential for reducing the share of out-of-school children and building a productive workforce,” the Survey says.
Digital addiction
The Economic Survey found that addictive behaviour linked to digital devices like smartphones, the Internet, gaming and social media leads to distress and functional impairment among children and youths.
This behavioural pattern, known as digital addiction, negatively affects academic performance and workplace productivity because of distractions, sleep debt and reduced focus. It also erodes social capital through weaker peer networks, lower community participation and diminished offline skills.
“Research on digital addiction highlights distinct risks and mental health consequences among youth. Social media addiction is strongly associated with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and cyberbullying stress, with multiple Indian and global studies confirming its high prevalence among those aged 15-24,” the Economic Survey says.