Jiangxi Province's decision to suspend secondary vocational schools has sparked discussions on the reform of the education system. Shandong Province also issued a notice on the integration of secondary vocational schools, and the trend of education adjustment swept the country. How to transform and develop secondary vocational schools has attracted much attention.
Jiangxi Province suspended secondary vocational schools
The Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education recently issued the "Notice on Deepening the Reform of the Enrollment System of Ordinary High Schools", deciding to stop the establishment of new secondary vocational schools from 2024.
From 2024, the relevant schools will stop recruiting students, and the current students will be trained until graduation according to the current model.
Shandong Province, Hubei Province, Sichuan Province and other places have also repeatedly stated that they will deepen the reform of the enrollment system of ordinary high schools and strictly control the expansion of general high school enrollment.
Behind this series of measures is the current reality that there is a surplus of places in ordinary high schools and a serious shortage of secondary vocational places.
In recent years, the living standards of urban and rural residents in China have been continuously improved, people's investment in education has also been increasing, and general high school education has achieved unprecedented development.
As a result, the education system, which was originally in the balanced development of general high schools and secondary vocational schools, has the general impact of the expansion of general high school enrollment: a surplus of places and a shortage of resources.
In order to protect the interests of "general high school students" and "secondary vocational students", many localities have chosen to suspend the operation of some secondary vocational schools.
Jiangxi Province, which has now introduced similar policies, is also limited by the current uneven distribution of educational resources.
The relevant person in charge of the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education said that the original intention of suspending secondary vocational schools was to better protect every child's right to receive education.
This has to be reminded of the saying that behind every problem lies a bigger problem.
As an important part of China's vocational education system, secondary vocational schools, which are now forced to take measures such as closure and transformation, are a microcosm of the urgent need to solve the reform of China's education system.
Integration of secondary vocational schools in Shandong Province
As an important economic province in China, Shandong Province is also a first-class country in the development of education.
However, in order to better adjust and optimize the allocation of resources, Shandong Province also had to adopt some tough measures.
A few days ago, Shandong Province issued the "Notice on Doing a Good Job in the Adjustment of the Layout of Secondary Vocational Schools in Shandong Province in 2023", which clearly stated that the layout of secondary vocational schools in the province will be comprehensively adjusted.
The adjustment involves the merger of 15 schools and the termination of 13 schools, and is likely to be further expanded.
In fact, Shandong Province is not the first place to introduce such policies, and Hubei, Sichuan and other places have also repeatedly proposed adjustment policies for secondary vocational schools.
This also confirms the fact that China's current education system needs to be reformed urgently, and secondary vocational schools, as an indispensable part of the education system, need to keep pace with the times.
Transformation of secondary vocational schools
With the changes in the economic and social development situation, the education system and educational content are constantly adjusting and updating, and in order to maintain sustainable development, it is necessary to adapt to the development needs of the times.
As a new type of school, secondary vocational schools are fundamentally different from ordinary high schools in the traditional sense.
If we blindly follow the traditional high school education model and ignore the key links such as employment orientation and practical ability training, then secondary vocational schools will gradually lose their value.
This is one of the reasons why a large number of secondary vocational schools have closed down and closed down in recent years.
If we want to get rid of the fate of being forced to shut down, we must clearly understand the situation and take the initiative to change the concept of development.
It is necessary to strengthen the connection with social enterprises, understand the market demand, and accurately locate the professional setting.
Only by keeping up with the pace of the times and continuously improving the quality and level of education can we win the recognition and support of parents and society for secondary vocational education.
In the future, there may be a shortage of high school students
Since 2017, the number of new births in China has been declining and has continued to this day.
By around 2038, which is the time node of the well-known "disappearance of the demographic dividend" in recent years, it is expected that the new population will peak and then decline.
If we add to this the fact that China's birth rate continues to decline in the future, it is very likely that all children who will take the high school entrance examination in 2038 will complete high school.
This also means that in the future, it is likely that some ordinary high schools will have to close due to a lack of students.
In the context of China's "college entrance examination single-plank bridge", ordinary high schools are the palace that every child dreams of entering, and there are ordinary high schools in cities and villages.
If there is a situation where ordinary high schools are forced to close due to a lack of students, it will mean that China's education system is facing unprecedented challenges.
The "college entrance examination single-plank bridge" system is also one of the most urgent reforms and improvements in China's education field.
Reform of the education system
Nowadays, ordinary high schools in urban and rural areas in China can be set up, and they have relatively rich resource allocation and conditions.
Many families even send their children to study in the city, and the living conditions are relatively good.
As a result, many rural schools in China, which were originally large in size and relatively rich in resources, were forced to close or merge into other schools due to a lack of students.
In fact, these are one of the consequences of the current situation of China's education system, and the rural areas are "lacking in resources" under the excessive allocation of high-quality education resources in cities.
With the implementation of policies such as rural economic construction, narrowing the gap between urban and rural development, and the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, it is believed that rural education will soon usher in a new wave of reform and construction.
epilogue
The reform of the education system is an inevitable choice for China's development, and it is very important to adapt to the needs of the times and keep up with the pace of social development. Let's focus on education reform and create a better learning environment and future development opportunities for children!