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Political advisor cautions against vocational student drain

Xinhua, March 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

A Chinese political advisor on Friday voiced concerns over a decrease in the number of secondary vocational schools and students enrolled.

Addressing a plenary meeting of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) during the advisory body's annual session, Su Hua, vice director of the National Association of Vocational Education of China, said secondary vocational schools are facing "stalling challenges" in student enrollment.

According to Su, the number of secondary vocational schools in China fell by 2,063 from 2010 to 2014, while student enrollment dropped 38 percent. The number of full-time teachers decreased 28 percent, Su said.

In 2014, there were about 18 million students in secondary vocational schools, compared with 12.7 million in 1996. The number of students enrolled at vocational colleges stood at 10 million in 2014, compared with 1.23 million in 1996.

Nearly ten million graduates of vocational schools are hired as technical personnel every year, accounting for 60 percent of the total employed population.

Still, Su suggested that the current supply of technical personnel via vocational education might not be enough for China's future economy as the country moves ahead with its restructuring drive.

Su proposed a nationwide vocational examination, similar to the college entrance examination, better known as gaokao, to allow secondary vocational school graduates to seek training at higher vocational colleges.

He also suggested an across-the-board credit system for students to switch between secondary vocational schools and regular senior high schools, to provide diverse options of education. Endi