Summary

As part of China’s annual congress, the country's government has issued its 2020 Government Work Report which sets out national priorities for the coming year. The government's goals in the field of education are mostly the same as in previous years, although enrolment at vocational colleges will expand and there will be increased support for employment of new graduates. More broadly China intends to prioritise employment while "committing to negative growth in its budgetary spending".

China's 2020 plans have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 epidemic and there is no set target for GDP growth in 2020. Instead, one of the main goals is to stabilise employment and ensure people's livelihood. Methods include corporate tax cuts, reductions of restrictions on foreign investment, and improvements to the environment for private businesses. Employability among this year's university and college graduates was mentioned as a specific area of focus; both local governments and the HEIs themselves should "provide employment services to these students on an ongoing basis". The Work Report also forecasts an increased government deficit this year and orders governments at all levels to "tighten their belts" with a decrease of at least 50 per cent in non-essential spending.

The Work Report reiterates a number of existing priorities in education. These include improving education quality; increasing the fairness of education provision, in particular expanding access to higher education for students from poor and rural areas; and supporting private education while keeping it well-regulated. It also re-commits to the World Class Universities and Disciplines initiative, whose participating universities are facing their first round of evaluations under the initiative this year.

Another employability-related priority which overlaps with the education sector is a planned increase in vocational college places. Over the next two years the number of students at higher vocational colleges will be expanded by 2 million (following a 1 million increase in 2019); at the same time the government will provide more than 35 million vocational skills training opportunities over the next two years.

Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services

The expansion in vocational education is perhaps the most important education-related development in this year's Work Report. China's HE provision is continuing to expand but this policy directs the expansion towards students studying three-year higher vocational diplomas rather than university degrees. This strategy should be seen in the light of other policies which aim to upgrade the quality of higher vocational education in China.

The focus on support for graduate employability is also an important development. As in other countries, the COVID-19 epidemic has seriously affected many Chinese businesses and this year's graduates will be facing a very tough employment situation. Universities, colleges and local governments will work together to support these graduates.

From a UK education perspective, the steep cuts in non-essential government spending are likely to have a negative impact. Local governments' overseas training budgets are likely to be reassessed, while cooperative projects between UK and Chinese universities may also find it difficult to secure government funding. However the Work Report does call for intensifying international cooperation on science and technology.

Source:

CGTN: Full text of the 2020 Government Work Report - https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-05-22/Full-text-Premier-Li-s-speech-at-the-third-session-of-the-13th-NPC-QHaP1FpB8k/index.html