Construction of China’s Modern Vocational Education System: History, Experience and Future Directions

Abstract

After more than 70 years of development, China has built the world’s largest modern vocational education system. This system has undergone gradual evolution through several stages: initial establishment and transformation, comprehensive restoration, exploratory development, framework formation, and deepened reform. The experience of constructing China’s modern vocational education system can be summarized as follows: in terms of its driving mechanism, it reflects the deep coupling of industry-demand traction and government top-level design; in terms of spatial structure, it takes school-based education as the main body while emphasizing school-enterprise cooperation; in terms of hierarchical structure, it features the simultaneous efforts to break through the “ceiling” of upward development and stabilize the basic foundation; in terms of horizontal structure, it promotes the shift of vocational education and general education from separation toward integration; and in terms of internal and external structures, it emphasizes serving regional industries and strengthening ecological coordination. Looking ahead, China’s modern vocational education system may develop in the following directions: strengthening its nature as a distinct type of education and promoting substantive integration between vocational and general education; further extending upward in terms of educational levels and enhancing articulation among different levels; promoting both academic education and vocational training to achieve complementary development; deepening the integration of industry and education and forming a new pattern of collaborative education involving government, industry organizations, enterprises, and schools; and serving lifelong learning for all by building an open system that is inclusive, equitable, and digitally empowered.