Vocational education law first major revision

In recent years, the topic of "mandatory separation of vocational and general education" has attracted a lot of attention from the industry. How does the newly revised vocational education law respond? What is the essence behind the revision? What are the breakthroughs? Through careful comparison and research, Zhou Hongyu, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, who has personally experienced the consideration of the two draft revisions of the Vocational Education Law, believes that the newly revised Vocational Education Law has made a historic breakthrough in 10 aspects.

1

A walkthrough in the connotation of the concept -

Cultivating high-quality workers and technically skilled personnel

For the law, the connotation of the concept must be expressed scientifically and accurately.

The definition in the first chapter of the original article is "Vocational education as referred to in this law refers to the education activities implemented to cultivate technically skilled personnel, so that the educated have the comprehensive quality of professional ethics, scientific and cultural and professional knowledge, technical skills, etc., which are needed to engage in a certain occupation or career development". The newly revised Vocational Education Law of Article 2 of the expression: "Vocational education referred to in this law, refers to the education implemented in order to cultivate high-quality technical and skilled personnel, so that the educated have the comprehensive quality of professional ethics, scientific and cultural and professional knowledge, technical skills and other vocational and operational skills needed to engage in a certain occupation or achieve professional development, including vocational school education and vocational training ." Zhou Hongyu believes that it is a major breakthrough in the connotation of the concept from "technically skilled personnel" to "high-quality technically skilled personnel". The breakthrough of the concept also sends a clear signal to society that the purpose of vocational education is clearer, which also points out the direction for educators to educate people.

2

New Breakthrough in Positioning Status

From "level" to "type"

The newly revised Vocational Education Law, for the first time, clearly expresses the positioning of talent cultivation as "vocational education is a type of education with the same importance as general education". In Zhou Hongyu's opinion, the two key words "equal importance" and "type of education" make the positioning and status of vocational education change drastically, even revolutionarily.

"Of course, not all vocational education is going in the direction of graduate students, but the vocational education system must not be missing the innovative skill masters." Zhou Hongyu said.

3

A breakthrough in the management system - the

The State Council to establish a top-level coordination mechanism for the work

For any work to be solidly implemented, one depends on the management system and the other on investment. This is especially true for the development of vocational education.

Article 8 of the newly revised Vocational Education Law clearly states: "The State Council establishes a coordination mechanism for vocational education, and coordinates the work of vocational education nationwide", and gives a clear description of the responsibilities of the administrative department of education under the State Council, the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government, and the relevant departments of local people's governments above the county level in terms of how to take the lead and how to coordinate.

The 1996 version and the second review of the 2021 first review draft stipulate that the education administrative department is responsible for leading the overall planning of vocational education work. "From the wording alone, the status of the education administration is improved, but the education sector itself is a department that spends money, relatively weak, in the real lead when not holding, unified, can not manage, the final work or can not promote the implementation." Zhou Hongyu said, in contrast, the provisions of the new law broke through the previous "management system" top-level coordination mechanism, the biggest shortcomings of the problem solved, so the entire management system is straightened out, the top-level design is in place.

4

Breakthrough in the framework of the system -

Highlighting the adaptability of vocational education

Article 14 of the newly revised Vocational Education Law expresses the system framework of vocational education as follows: "The state establishes and improves a modern vocational education system that meets the needs of economic and social development, deeply integrates industry and education, gives equal importance to vocational school education and vocational training, integrates vocational education and general education, effectively integrates vocational education at different levels, and serves lifelong learning for all. "

"What is the difference between this and the first and second review drafts?" Zhou Hongyu found that the original expression of the interconnection of vocational education and general education, with "effective interconnection of primary, intermediate and advanced vocational education", but now expressed as "effective interconnection of different levels of vocational education". He thinks that this expression is more adapted to the needs of economic and social development, emphasizes the adaptability of vocational education, is more concise and clear, and reflects the modernity of vocational education.

5

A breakthrough in the level of schooling -

Leaving space for cultivating highly sophisticated technical and skilled talents

In the first and second review drafts, the expression about the level of vocational education is as follows: "higher vocational education, vocational school education is an important part of higher education, which is implemented by vocational higher schools and ordinary higher schools at the specialist and undergraduate levels." Article 15 of the newly revised vocational education law clearly states that "higher vocational school education is implemented by higher vocational schools and ordinary higher education schools at the specialist, undergraduate, and higher education levels." In Zhou Hongyu's opinion, this reflects a breakthrough in the level of vocational education, which reserves space for vocational education to cultivate highly skilled technical talents and provides legal support to better build a strong education country and a strong human resource country.

Of course, Zhou Hongyu also thinks that according to the positioning, objectives, characteristics, and needs of vocational education, the proportion of implementing graduate education should not be too large, and should reflect the characteristics of cultivating high-level talents in vocational education and its inherent laws. From the perspective of international comparison, in the early stage, it is generally at 3%-5%, and in the middle and late stage at 10%-15%. At the undergraduate level, it is 15%-25% in the early stage, about 30% in the middle and late stage, and at the other higher specialist and secondary school levels, it is 65%-70%. It is undesirable to ignore the nature and characteristics of vocational education and blindly compare them.

6

Breakthrough of school running power -

Supporting social forces to organize vocational education

In the past, vocational education was mainly run by the government, and "school-enterprise cooperation" was encouraged. Now, the scope of the main body to further expand the new law proposed by the "local people's governments at all levels and industry departments to support social forces to participate in the joint operation of schools by the law, the organization of various forms of vocational schools, vocational training institutions. Zhou Hongyu said that this means that the government supports social forces to organize vocational education.

7

The breakthrough of the certificate system -

Both academic certificates and degree certificates

"In the past, vocational and technical education only had academic certificates, not degree certificates. But academic certificates and degree certificates are not one concept. An academic certificate is a diploma, and a degree certificate is a qualification ......" Zhou Hongyu believes that a sound certificate system is a key link affecting the long-term development of vocational education.

The newly revised Article 51 of the Vocational Education Law reads: "Those who receive vocational school education, meet the corresponding academic requirements and pass the examination of the school shall obtain the corresponding academic certificate; those who receive vocational training and pass the examination of the vocational training institution or vocational school shall obtain the corresponding training certificate; those who pass the examination of the specialized institutions by the state regulations shall obtain the corresponding Vocational qualification certificate or vocational skill level certificate." And "those who have received higher vocational school education and whose academic level has reached the degree standard stipulated by the state can apply for the corresponding degree according to the law". Zhou Hongyu said, this is not involved in the first trial and second draft, which can connect all levels of the modern vocational education system organically, but also in line with the cultural characteristics of vocational education rooted in China, thus also alleviating parents' educational anxiety.

8

A breakthrough in the protection system -

Both the division of responsibilities and investment of "real money"

"We are concerned about a law, in addition to the management system and the division of responsibilities, but also whether to take out 'real money." Zhou Hongyu said, only the input security, in practice can have development.

In the newly revised Vocational Education Law from Article 54 to Article 62, nine articles are about the input security provisions. For example, Article 54 reads, "The state optimizes the structure of expenditure on education, so that the investment in vocational education is commensurate with the development needs of vocational education, and encourages the raising of funds for the development of vocational education through various channels by the law." Article 55, "People's governments at all levels shall implement vocational education funding by the principle of adapting the responsibilities of affairs and expenditure, according to the scale of vocational education, training costs and quality of education, and strengthen budget performance management to improve the effectiveness of the use of funds ......" And proposed that "the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government should develop the average cost of vocational schools in the region or public funding standards. Zhou Hongyu also said that although the new law does not specifically write the proportion of vocational education investment in the total investment in education funding, but the three words "appropriate" as well as the provision should be developed per capita funding standards or public funding standards or to make up for the relatively vague expression of the past on investment protection.

9

NewBreakthroughs response to public concerns

New expressions on the ratio of general education to vocational education, higher education, and employment

In recent years, the topic of "the compulsory separation of vocational and general education" has received attention from the industry.

The Vocational Education Law promulgated in 1996 stipulates that "the state shall implement different stages of education streaming with emphasis on post-secondary education according to the level of economic development and the degree of education popularization in different regions". When the second draft was considered in December last year, it was suggested to study the abolition of the post-secondary education streaming policy, which was considered to be inconsistent with the development of education in different regions and led to the rigid implementation of a "one-size-fits-all" policy, especially in the reality that there is a large gap between the quality of vocational education development and employment prospects and general education, which further triggered Parents and students of primary and secondary school students anxiety, and even the consequences of "secondary school entrance examinations into high school entrance examinations", and "double reduction" policy guidance to produce a countervailing effect. According to the suggestions of the review, the second draft of the draft was changed to "implement the classified development of vocational education and general education at different stages after compulsory education"; and the newly revised vocational education law further revised this expression to "promote the coordinated development of vocational education and general education at different stages after compulsory education by local conditions. Coordinated development".

"It can be seen that from 'diversion' to 'classification' to 'coordination', the overall meaning of 'compulsory The implication of 'mandatory' is getting weaker and weaker." However, Zhou Hongyu also pointed out that, given that the situation of each student is different, the development needs are also different, education itself also has the role of triage and stratification, especially the huge support role of vocational education for economic and social development, the country's overall consideration for the development of vocational education, the relevant policies will continue to be implemented, only the implementation will pay more attention to the actual, focus on ways and means, focus on coordinated development.

In addition, the newly revised Vocational Education Law has responded to the concerns of the public in terms of the cultivation of talents in vocational education, the issuance of certificates for graduates, and how to create an equal opportunity for employment of graduates from vocational colleges. Article 53 stipulates that "vocational school students shall enjoy equal opportunities with students of ordinary schools at the same level in terms of further education, employment and career development" and "People's governments at all levels shall create a fair employment environment. Employers shall not set application, recruitment, or employment conditions that prevent equal employment and fair competition for vocational school graduates," which helps eliminate social discrimination against vocational education.

10

Breakthroughs in legal responsibility -

Clearly defined responsibilities and punitive measures

In Zhou Hongyu's opinion, a new law has no new through, the key point is to see whether the provisions of legal responsibility are harareenough.

The newly revised Vocational Education Law is marked: "The staff of the education administration department, human resources social security administration department or other relevant departments violating the provisions of this law, abuse of power, negligence, favoritism, shall be punished according to law; constitutes a crime, criminal responsibility shall be investigated according to law." Zhou Hongyu believes that this expression is rigid. Because the law also specifically and written in the fine, for example: "...... confiscate the illegal income, and impose a fine of more than double or five times the illegal income; illegal income of less than 10,000 yuan, calculated by 10,000 yuan." In his view, the legal responsibility is clear and strong is "with steel teeth" law.

Of course, after the introduction of any law, with the development of society, there is certainly room for improvement. But these ten breakthroughs, cover all aspects of the key issues, both in line with the spirit of the central government, but also in line with the actual needs, but also efforts to respond to the concerns of the people. I look forward to the new law in real life to effectively promote the landing, so that the development of vocational education ushered in a real spring.