Promote the development of vocational education with the concept of vocational education
[Bright Times Review]
Recently, the revised draft of the Vocational Education Law was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for deliberation for the first time. The revised draft confirms that vocational education and general education are different types of education and have equal importance. They are an important part of the national education system and human resource development, and are an important way to cultivate diverse talents, pass on technical skills, and promote employment and entrepreneurship. These expressions, together with content such as improving the vocational education system and improving the quality of vocational education, have aroused widespread public concern.
In recent years, vocational education has received more and more attention, and “big moves” at the national level have continued. For example, the State Council issued the “20 Vocational Education Articles”, proposed to expand the enrollment of higher vocational colleges by 2 million people within two years, and hold the National Vocational Education Conference. Today, the revision of the Vocational Education Law has also embarked on the fast lane, further raising people’s expectations for the future development of vocational education. However, the development of vocational education in reality still faces some difficulties. In terms of investment, how can vocational education get rid of the government’s single investment model and encourage diverse social participation? In terms of management, how does the education administrative department work with the human resources, social, industrial and commercial departments? In terms of the source of students, how can vocational education be reasonably separated from general education? In teaching, how does vocational education absorb innovative models such as apprenticeship? In terms of faculty, how does vocational education really cultivate “double-qualified” talents? In terms of reputation, how can vocational education improve its quality, get rid of the “low-level” stereotype, and exchange its strength for a change in its own evaluation? Such things are complicated, and unsystematic reforms are difficult to achieve.
The overall grasp and comprehensive understanding of vocational education will inevitably affect the progress and effectiveness of reforms in specific areas. For example, the relationship between vocational education and general education is not only the basis of reform, but also affects every student and parent. Establishing the principle that vocational education and general education belong to different types of education, and helping vocational education to develop separately will naturally help vocational education to locate and develop itself. Of course, the complete system of general education, the emphasis on knowledge and theory, and the balanced development of morality, intelligence, physical education, and labor are still the successful experience and laws of educational development. The shortcomings of general education in practice, skills, etc., even in the case of separation of vocational education and general education, will still affect vocational education in all aspects.
The educator Mr. Huang Yanpei proposed in the “Chinese Vocational Education Society Manifesto” in 1917 that “promoting vocational education”, “improving vocational education” and “improving general education” must be equally emphasized. This is precisely to see that vocational education and general education complement each other, and vocational education cannot completely separate from general education. The revised draft emphasizes both the separation of occupations and the integration of occupations, but from the perspective of reality, the two need to be more vigorous and more feasible in terms of integration, so that vocational education can develop better in China.
In addition, in terms of the relationship between vocational school education and vocational training, the “20 Articles of Vocational Education” advocates the integration of documents and certificates, and the pilot work of the 1+X certificate system has been launched in vocational colleges and applied undergraduate colleges, and the revised draft of the Vocational Education Law is also Point out that vocational school education and vocational training are equally important. Here, there are many differences between ability-oriented vocational training and academic qualifications-based school education, no matter from the original intention, purpose or approach. It is important to strengthen the integration of the two, but the more important thing is to face up to the differences between the two and strengthen the complementarity and mutual learning between the two on this basis, so that vocational school education can better serve vocational training and vocational training can better feed back. Vocational school education will eventually improve itself and strengthen its characteristics, like the “two wheels of a car” and “two wings of a bird”, and jointly promote the development of vocational education.
Vocational education is a national systematic project. To develop and expand vocational education, it is necessary to uphold a systematic and comprehensive concept of vocational education. By improving the overall grasp and comprehensive understanding of vocational education, the “division” and the “division” of various internal and external relations of education should be mastered. “Integrate” and do a good job of top-level design, so that vocational education truly becomes the light of education, the blessing of the people, and the luck of the nation.
(Author: Luo Ronghai, associate researcher at the School of Continuing Education and Teacher Training, Beijing Normal University)
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