Reports misinterpreting Vocational Education Law, ministry says

The Ministry of Education on Wednesday dismissed news reports of canceling the diversion of students into vocational education and regular education after the completion of middle school as a misinterpretation of the newly adopted Vocational Education Law.

The newly revised law, which was adopted on April 20 by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, stipulated that the country should promote coordinated development of vocational education and regular education after middle school based on local conditions, dropping the description of "diversion of students" in an earlier version of the law, which was adopted in 1996.

Some news outlets have reported that the removal of the phrase "diversion of students" in the new law means there is no separation of students into the two categories after middle school.

The reports became trending topics on social media platforms as the diversion has become a major source of anxiety among primary and middle school students and their parents for the deep-rooted stigma attached to vocational education.

Chen Ziji, director of the ministry's department of vocational and adult education, said promoting coordinated development of vocational and regular education by no means signals the cancellation of secondary vocational education.

Instead, the new law emphasized the high-quality development of secondary vocational education so vocational school students can achieve better overall development, he said at a news conference.

Promoting coordinated development of vocational education and regular education means they are equally important, he said.

Rather than a strict 50-50 percent diversion of students, the new law has allowed differences of the rate of students pursuing vocational education based on local conditions, Chen said.

More funds should be allocated to secondary vocational schools, and efforts should be made to encourage secondary vocational school graduates to pursue higher levels of education and receive vocational bachelor degrees, he said.

The country should also give more policy support to vocational education to attract more students pursuing such education and promoting coordinated development between the two forms of education, he added.

At a news conference in February, Chen said it is very necessary to continue the diversion as secondary vocational education has promoted diversified development of students and has played an important role in boosting employment and regional economic development while improving people's livelihoods.

According to the latest figures from the ministry, the country had more than 13.1 million students attending secondary vocational schools last year, accounting for 33 percent of all students at the high school level.