Research points to shortages in professional education

The Non-Tertiary Education Council held its third plenary meeting yesterday at the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ). The Council presented reports on the development of the region’s vocational and professional education system, the amendment to the special education system and other programmes.
In 2014, the DSEJ entrusted the Shanghai Institute of Vocational and Technical Education to conduct research on the city’s vocational and technical education system.
According to Chen Song, vice-director of the institute, the research concluded that this education sector is facing “a shortage of students, and lacks cooperation between schools and communities alike, as well as a good work ethic applied by the teaching staff.”
In the academic year of 2015/2016, there were 1,360 students spread across 36 majors in local vocational and professional education schools. Additionally,  10 middle-schools were opening vocational and professional courses.
As informed by Ng, the number of students is smaller than that of last year due to “the change in the number of enrolled middle-­    school students.” Last year, there were approximately 1,400 registered students.
According to DSEJ, parents’ opinions about vocational and professional education schools – namely, that these schools may not provide advantages to their children when entering the labour market –  have made them hesitant in sending their children to these schools.