Summary

Earlier in February 2019, China's government announced its most recent strategy for reforming the country's vocational education sector, covering the period until 2022. The plan covers all levels of vocational education including secondary vocational schools, higher vocational colleges, and continuing education.

Priorities in the plan include:

• Improving teaching standards through standard-setting, teacher training, and recruitment of teaching staff with relevant industry experience
• Ensuring that higher vocational students earn relevant professional qualifications alongside their diplomas - this is known as the "1+X plan", which refers to students receiving one diploma and "X"  professional qualifications
• Improving credit transfer and recognition, both between academic institutions and between academic and professional qualifications
• Promoting cooperation between academic institutions and enterprises, including through increasing private-sector involvement in running vocational schools and through other forms of cooperation such as modern apprenticeships
• Promoting the value of vocational education to ensure that employers do not discriminate against vocational college graduates
• Improving funding mechanisms, with a particular focus on improving resources for vocational education in less-wealthy areas of China

The plan also reaffirms China's goals to transform a "large number" of universities teaching bachelor's degree programmes to focus on applied subjects, and sets a target to develop 50 high-level higher vocational colleges and 150 "backbone disciplines"  by 2020, along with establishing 300 high-level practical training bases.

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

The plan shows China's continuing efforts to improve the quality of its vocational education system. The country has large numbers of vocational education students: At the upper secondary level (ages 15-18), around 40 per cent of students are studying vocational (as opposed to academic) programmes, while around 46 per cent of the country's new undergraduates enrol on three-year higher vocational diploma programmes rather than bachelor's degrees.

Internationalisation is not directly mentioned in the most recent plan, but the country's vocational colleges are in general keen to develop partnerships with overseas institutions. The focus on quality and the promotion of industry links may both create opportunities for cooperation.

Sources

State Council – National Implementation Plan for Vocational Education Reform (in Chinese): http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2019-02/13/content_5365341.htm

China Daily – State Council releases vocational education reform implementation plan: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201902/14/WS5c64d368a3106c65c34e94cd.html