context: Secondary voc ed enrolment has been declining over the past decade, as voc ed is seen as inferior to academic high school education. Debates on how to manage secondary voc ed continue and experts are divided on its future.
In April, MoE (Ministry of Education) ordered the expansion of secondary vocational education admission to the level of high schools admission. Voc ed remains the last resort for students with low grades despite the state’s increasing emphasis. The low status and inconsistent quality of voc ed led to the debate on whether secondary voc ed should be replaced by universal high school education.
Making voc ed schools another pathway to attending good universities will allow voc ed schools to recruit better students, and should be the future orientation of secondary voc ed, argues Jin Weidong 金卫东 Hangzhou Renmin Vocational School headmaster. In Zhejiang, the “3+4” joint voc-ed and undergraduate degree program has been successful in attracting academically strong students because it secures a place in good universities and better job prospects.
However, the “3+4” programs can become too exam-oriented when fulfilling the connecting universities’ requirements, reports Sanlian Lifeweek. As vocational universities and tertiary vocational education are expanded, MoE ordered the suspension of “3+4” programs.
Others argue that voc ed should not be simply a stepping stone to universities. Many voc ed graduates pursue college degrees for the fear of social prejudices, leading to low quality of training and credential inflation in the job market, argues Xiong Bingqi 熊丙奇 president of 21st Century Education Research in Huanqiu. Vocational education should be entirely skill-oriented, and separating the academic and vocational education tracks once basic education is completed is more efficient for building a highly skilled labour force, says Xiong.