‘SNEAKY COMPETITION WILL PERSIST’
The crux of the problem, experts agree, is the intense competition in schools.
For one thing, there are “too few paths” for students after streaming, said Chen Zhiqin, an educational software developer.
One’s grades in the Zhongkao, for example, determine whether one continues in academics or enters vocational school. Students who did not do well go to the latter and are taught technical skills for employment, such as hairdressing and catering services.
To some parents, the choice is as good as none, seeing that vocational schools have been stigmatised in the country for a long time.
“If a child enters high school, even if it isn’t an elite one, there’d be a good learning environment. But if (children) enter vocational institutions, they’d basically stop learning,” said Yuan.
Hoping to boost the image of vocational schools, China revised the Vocational Education Law last year.
It now states that vocational and general education are equally important and that China encourages the development of various forms of vocational education, Xinhua News Agency reported. This was the first major revision of the law in 25 years.
But parents such as Yuan will not be moved. “Many parents know vocational education doesn’t get the same emphasis,” she said.