By Soumitra Banerji
Today China is the Manufacturing Capital of the world…placing itself at the head of the Supply Chain Table, with the Developed World virtually eating out of its plate.
Both, China and India wore their thinking caps way back in 1950…maybe earlier; when the two countries were making strategic choices they needed, in order to march forward and integrate with a fast evolving West, led by the resurgent United States.
China, particularly since the 1950s, focused on a broad mass education system, prioritising basic literacy and practical skills, especially vocational training and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. This approach, ingrained in policy documents like the Law on Nine-Year Compulsory Education, aimed at producing a large, skilled workforce for the country’s manufacturing sector and aligning with national economic development goals.
This was a deviation which the People’s Republic of China, under the Communist Party (CCP) made from the prevailing Confucian Philosophy towards a more socialistic approach of Mass Education. Mao had a rigorous thought process of his own…more egalitarian…less feudal and class conscious.
On the other hand, India, inheriting a British colonial legacy, initially prioritised elite tertiary education, leading to a focus on academic learning and a traditional 10+2 system. Skill development and vocational training received less emphasis, leading to a surplus of social science graduates and a skills gap, particularly in manufacturing.
Nehru’s India opted for an elitist education focus…Schooling had more of a western pattern of education bias…Higher education got a larger share of investments – IITs, IIMs, IISc and the large cities hosting some of the premier Universities housing some of the few premier Colleges, influenced by British, American and Russian standards.
However, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a significant shift towards incorporating critical thinking, skill-based learning, and vocational education into the mainstream curriculum.
China has built the world’s largest vocational education system, with a robust industry-integrated approach, training millions of students annually and ensuring alignment with labour market demands, according to firdoshkhan.com. Graduates of these programmes often get priority in job assignments.
India’s vocational education system is still evolving and has been fragmented, with inconsistent quality and limited pathways for practical training, says firdoshkhan.com. Only a small percentage of students currently pursue vocational courses. However, the Indian government has launched initiatives like the Skill India Mission and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) to address this gap and promote vocational training and entrepreneurship.
China invests significantly in education and has prioritised rural education development and digital learning. Education policy is closely tied to national economic goals, including building a future-ready workforce and enhancing global competitiveness.
In India, public spending on education has historically been lower than in China, with challenges in rural areas and infrastructure development. The NEP 2020 aims to increase public investment and addresses various aspects of education, including institutional autonomy, teacher training, and technology integration.
In essence, while China historically pursued a top-down, centralised approach to education and skill development, prioritising mass literacy, STEM, and vocational training to fuel its industrial growth, India is transitioning from an academic focus towards a more holistic and skill-oriented education system, emphasising vocational training, digital literacy, and industry-aligned learning to enhance employability and economic growth.
To conclude, India needs a Skilled Manufacturing Industrial Revolution to take a prominent seat at the Supply Chain table…on which Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea, amongst others, have already booked their space. And our Government needs to show an urgency so as to align with the Demographic Dividend, which India has the benefit of as I write.
(Soumitra Banerji is an acclaimed Indian author and writer, best known for his thought-provoking novel “Liminal Tides”.)
