Should security studies be a discipline of learning at the senior school level ?

The last few decades have witnessed an over-emphasis on certain select subjects of study at the school level. The choke of the subjects of study have mostly been influenced by a few factors – possibility for high end jobs, focus on white collar jobs, thrust on technology and business, parental ambitions and objectives, the brands associated with the study of a few disciplines of learning and the possible gateway to brand institutions at higher education level.

Of late, there appears to be a realization that job markets have opened up in newer blended courses of study and skills, disciplines with convergence of knowledge, subjects related to service sector opportunities and the like. In this context, it may be worthwhile to examine whether ‘security studies ‘could emerge as an independent discipline of learning, keeping in view the vast scope of opportunities in organized security sectors as well as independent entrepreneurial opportunity for providing qualitative skilled security inputs to the emerging production and service industries.

I recall fondly, the serious efforts taken by the National Board to introduce ‘Defence studies’ as a separate scheme at the senior school level so that it can provide both lateral and vertical mobility for service sectors. Though the curriculum was well drafted, certain serious reservations with regard to the use of the word “Defence studies” hindered any further progress, as certain specialized organizations for developing and recruiting the persons for these disciplines felt certain challenges. A number of years later, efforts were also made to collaborate with organizations like NCC to provide academic interventions with singular focus of developing learners with focused national consciousness, but the resistance emerged in other forms.

I think, given the scenario of safety and security at various national and private organizations which cannot be dealt with designated forces, it may be a good idea to package concepts and skills of safety and security and a course offered to empower the middle level interventions by a team of skilled personnel with a professional outlook rather than consider these opportunities to the untrained and unskilled sectors. The emerging scenario indicates a huge requirement of personnel who would be required to meet the HR requirements of several organizations.

These courses can be designed to meet both vertical mobility to learn collegiate courses relating to similar subjects and with a lateral mobility to service sectors. Some open ended thinking may be necessary in this regard