Summary
Last month (November 2018), China's State Council announced the formation of a new body to coordinate reforms to the country's vocational education sector. The body, which brings together officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and six other relevant bodies, will be responsible for implementing the next phase of reforms to the country's vocational education system.
China has an extensive vocational education system, including over 10,000 secondary vocational schools and over 1,300 higher vocational colleges. These institutions account for around 40 per cent of both upper secondary and HE students respectively. Improving the quality and prestige of vocational education plays an important role in China's development plans as it is seen as developing the skilled employees needed to upgrade the country's economy.
The current driving vocational education reform in China, the Action Plan for the Innovation and Development of Higher Vocational Education, covers the period from 2015 to 2018. This plan will be replaced with the National Vocational Education Reform Implementation Plan which will be coordinated by the new body.
According to statements from the Department of Vocational Education and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education, the new plan will focus on several areas. These include a focus on high-tech skills, bringing innovation and technology development into vocational colleges, and allowing vocational education students to gain recognised professional qualifications alongside the diploma from their institutions. Aligning vocational education with international standards is also an important priority, as it will help to promote the exchange of talents between China and elsewhere in the world.
Analysis by Kevin Prest, Senior Analyst, British Council International Education Services
The new body represents a push to better align vocational education with industry needs, although the Ministry of Education will still play the leading role. This is in line with the direction of previous reforms, including allowing the local business community to play a greater role in the governing bodies of individual vocational colleges. It also shows that China continues to place great importance on vocational education, bringing responsibility to a body directly below the State Council.
Sources
1.Ministry of Education - National Vocational Education Reform Implementation Plan prepared for release (in Chinese): http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/xw_fbh/moe_2069/xwfbh_2018n/xwfb_20181107/mtbd/201811/t20181109_354142.html
2.Sohu - Major Innovations in the Organisation of the National Vocational Education System (in Chinese): http://www.sohu.com/a/278182123_229991
3.Xinhua - State Council establishes mechanism to coordinate vocational education: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/28/c_137637096.htm