China Higher EdVET to Relieve Poverty in China
ZHU Yongxin, Education Reformer, Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Society of Education (CSE), and Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC), urged policy makers and industries to provide vocational education training (VET) to the tens of millions who are living below the poverty line, as this might be one of the best approaches to relieving poverty in China.
Chinese VET largely relies on teachers from the traditional education system who have little experience and minimal connection to industry. As such China is suffering a severe skilled-labour shortage and a large proportion of its mature-aged rural population have no channels to improve their skills. ZHU therefore encouraged policy makers to consider all possibilities in order to connect the dots to make a difference. Policy restrictions on joint VET schools and VET student recruitment have also been criticized by ZHU, and he also urged the removal of geographical barriers so that improved education resources can be better utilized across the country.
