Overhaul of Vocational Education Law

For the first time, it is clear that vocational education has the same importance as general education

In the past, the public perception of vocational education was vague. The newly revised vocational education law makes it clear for the first time that vocational education is a type of education that has the same importance as general education.

He Zhen, director of the National Institute of Vocational Education of Beijing Normal University, said that stipulating vocational education as equally important as general education at the legal level is conducive to shaping social consensus and promoting high-quality development of vocational education.

The new vocational education law has improved the connotation of vocational education: vocational education refers to the education implemented to cultivate high-quality technical and skilled personnel, so that the educated have comprehensive vocational ethics, scientific, cultural, and professional knowledge, technical skills, and other vocational qualities and action capabilities needed to engage in a certain occupation or achieve career development, including vocational school education and vocational training.

"The most important positioning of vocational education is to provide competent and high-quality technical skill talents for industrial development." Li Jun, associate professor of Tongji University's Institute of Vocational and Technical Education, believes that improving the connotation of vocational education, clarifying the attributes of the type of vocational education, and focusing on cultivating professional practical ability and vocational literacy in education and teaching is conducive to promoting high-quality development of vocational education.

Investing in improving the recognition of vocational education

"Vocational education is inferior", "Vocational schools are not good schools", "Vocational school students find undignified jobs"... ...prejudices and murmurs are sometimes found in the social perception of vocational education.

In the opinion of Zeng Tianshan, a researcher and deputy director of the Vocational Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education, due to the influence of traditional Chinese culture, such as the concept of "learning is better than being a career", and the late rise of vocational education compared with general education, the public needs to update their concepts and break the stereotypes.

In this regard, the newly revised Vocational Education Law provides for several "practical measures" to enhance the recognition of vocational education.

For example, it is stipulated that the state takes measures to improve the social status and treatment of technically skilled personnel, and to promote the era of honorable labor, valuable skills, and great creativity; it is proposed that the state organizes vocational skills competitions and other activities to provide a platform for technically skilled personnel to demonstrate their skills and exchange skills, and to continuously train more high-quality technically skilled personnel, skilled craftsmen and artisans; it is proposed that vocational school students in advancement, employment, career development, etc. enjoy equal opportunities with students of ordinary schools at the same level.

"The technology, skills, and talents needed in all walks of life are irreplaceable. The improvement of the social status of vocational education still requires the joint efforts and initiatives of all aspects of society." He Zhen believes that the social concept should shift from attaching importance to education to attaching importance to contribution and ability; an equal vocational qualification framework system should be established for all walks of life so that everyone can go to the corresponding high-level grade in their own career track.

Deepen the integration of industry and education, school-enterprise cooperation

"Vocational schools and vocational training institutions implementing vocational education should focus on the integration of industry and education and implement school-enterprise cooperation." Among them, the word "industry-education integration" replaces the current law "industry-education integration". The word change has an extra depth of meaning.

"In the past, the 'industry-education combination' has a lag, the new technology, new technology, new norms often can not be reflected in time to the school, the relationship between enterprises and schools similar to 'friends to help', this relationship is very unstable. Stable." Zeng Tianshan said, "integration" is to become one, enterprises and schools together to invest, jointly develop talent programs, and joint training, to build a win-win situation.

To deepen the participation of enterprises in vocational education and play its role in school-enterprise cooperation, the newly revised vocational education law further clarifies many initiatives: the state plays the important role of enterprises in running schools, promotes the in-depth participation of enterprises in vocational education, and encourages enterprises to hold high-quality vocational education; enterprises can set up full-time or part-time positions to implement vocational education; the situation of enterprises in vocational education should be included in the enterprise social The state encourages industry organizations and enterprises to participate in the development of professional teaching materials for vocational education.

In addition, the new vocational education law also contains incentives for enterprises that deeply participate in the integration of industry and education and school-enterprise cooperation, such as incentives and tax concessions.

Improving the system and measures to guarantee vocational education

According to UNESCO statistics, the cost of running vocational education is about three times higher than that of general education.

In practice, holding vocational education is a high-investment undertaking in itself because it requires more space, equipment, and consumables.

Lin Yu, deputy director of the Department of Vocational and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education, revealed a set of data at the end of 2021: today, enrollment in higher education accounts for more than 55% of higher education, while the direct financial investment received by higher education only accounts for about 20% of the whole higher education.

In response to this situation, the newly revised vocational education law adds provisions: the state takes measures according to the industrial layout and industry development needs, vigorously develop emerging professions needed by advanced manufacturing and other industries, and supports the construction of high-level vocational schools and professions; the state optimizes the structure of education expenditure, invests in vocational education to match the development needs of vocational education, and encourages raising funds for the development of vocational education through various channels according to law funds.

"At present, the degree of vocational education development in each region is basically positively correlated with the degree of local economic development." Zeng Tianshan believes that vocational education development cannot rely entirely on government input. It is necessary to find a combination mechanism between the public welfare logic of schools and the market logic of enterprises and increase the investment in vocational education through multiple channels.

Edgar said the state should give priority to guaranteeing the training of technical skill talents in manufacturing, strategic emerging industries, and industries of major national importance and livelihood, while for other new occupations and industries, it can rely more on market mechanisms for regulation. "The more developed and civilized the society is, the more prominent the value of vocational education is. The development of vocational education is ultimately aimed at meeting people's needs for diverse learning and progress."