The Relationship between Society and Public Higher Vocational Schools: A Survey Report
VTE English Edition - VTE English Edition NO.2, 2011



By Dong Renzhong, Sun Weiping

To develop modern higher vocational education system, it is necessary to form a good relationship between the government and higher vocational schools(In China, the “higher vocational school”, also called “higher vocational college” or “higher vocational education institutions”, is equal to the “ISCDE 5B” education from the international perspective.), to reform the internal managerial system of higher vocational schools, and also to develop a good relationship between higher vocational schools and the society. Compared with other ordinary higher education schools, especially the academic or research-oriented institutions, higher vocational schools are special, and have a closer relationship with the society. So, in the “National Medium and Long-term Planning Outline for Educational Reform and Development”, high regard is paid to the relationship between higher vocational schools and the society. In the “Planning Outline”, it is put forward that the higher education should have higher social service capacity, that higher vocational schools should serve the society proactively and in an all-around way, and, that vocational education development is an important way to promote the economic growth, employment and people’s livelihood, to solve the “Three Agricultural Problems”, and it is also important for solving the contradiction in labor demand and supply. It should be placed in a position of priority. In vocational education, “improving quality” should be an important point. Vocational education should be oriented toward service and employment, and should accentuate educational and teaching reform. In vocational education, learning and practice should be combined, schools and enterprises should cooperate with one another, and in-post probation system should be practiced. Such being the case, re-creating tie between society and higher vocational education is the main thread running through the future higher vocational education system reform. In this study, questionnaire surveys were made on middle-level managerial personnel and teachers from 15 public higher vocational schools in six provinces , clarification was made of the current conditions and shortcomings of the relationship between society and public vocational education institutions, and some reform concepts were put forward on re-creating relationship between society and public vocational education institutions.

Annex