Postcompulsory Education and Training in China

Qi Wang

doi:10.6017/ihe.2010.60.8504

Abstract

The recent debate on building a learning society in China has focused on the gap between individuals' learning motivation and the government's policy orientation on further developing postcompulsory [i.e., postsecondary] education and training programs through certified learning. This gap, reflecting China's cultural and historical force of credentialism, is believed to be a barrier to the promotion of lifelong learning.

Highlights

An interesting phenomenon is the development of second-tier independent colleges—colleges affiliated with public universities, but receiving little public funding, and wholly dependent on student fees
Enrollment in economics went through a huge increase with the rapid expansion of management and administration programs, from 14.9 percent of total enrollment in 1998 to 24.7 percent in 2008
Enrollment in four-year programs no longer exceeds the numbers in two-year programs across all disciplines

Summary

Introduction

An interesting phenomenon is the development of second-tier independent colleges—colleges affiliated with public universities, but receiving little public funding, and wholly dependent on student fees. The recent debate on building a learning society in China has focused on the gap between individuals’ learning motivation and the government’s policy orientation on further developing postcompulsory [i.e., postsecondary] education and training programs through certified learning. Other policies emphasizing the development of a lifelong-learning culture have been enacted through direct educational initiatives and regulations, such as the employment promotion law of the People’s Republic of China, the decision on promoting vocational education, and the construction of a vocational qualification system.

Results

Conclusion