Decision makers plot direction of China’s education sector

`Having just concluded their 2009 sessions, the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) represent China’s most important series of meetings, discussions and decisions on the future direction of the country. These meetings are attended by top politicians, thought leaders and influencers, and are intended to canvass the views of a wide cross-section of society. The following is a summary of issues raised relevant to the education sector:

• Premier Wen Jiabao reaffirmed education as a priority for the government in 2009. He stressed the importance of free and equal access to compulsory education in poorer areas, the development of the vocational education sector, and reform of the education system to nurture creative and practical generations of graduates. This concept of “Suzhi” education calls for reform across subject curriculum, teaching materials, delivery methods and examination systems.
• Wen also reiterated concerns about high graduate unemployment, pledging government support for those affected. He encouraged students to seek out public sector jobs and those in rural areas, or to start their own businesses.
• A member of the elite CPPCC National Committee, Ms Li Lan, also sees the creation of new businesses as a key to safeguarding the future of many graduates, and encouraged widespread entrepreneurship education  for university students. Check out our recent post on entrepreneurship education. These suggestions were echoed by several others at the meetings.
• A proposal from the Vice Chairman of the political group Jiu San Society suggested universities should have autonomy in the election of principals, rather than being at the whim of the Ministry of Education (MoE).
• President of massive homegoods company Suning, Mr Zhang Jindong wants to see more practical courses within university programs, to provide students necessary hands-on experience and to better prepare them for a competitive job market. Hear hear!
• Xinjiang’s Tarim University principal Mr Li Xinming said despite his institution’s comparatively poorer funding and standards, it has maintained a graduate employment rate around 90%. This is due, he says, to its specialisation in agricultural studies. Li suggested that universities should more clearly differentiate from one another and specialise in areas of strenght in order to generate an appropriate and diverse amount of supply for the job market. This is a noble aim in any country.
• Meanwhile, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s principal believes English should not be compulsorily assessed in university entrance exams. The statement won praise from some netizens, but prompted one blogger to complain, “without English proficiency, China will go back 100 years.” The proposal is underpinned by the principal’s frustration at the level of pressure on students to learn English and pass relevant examinations. We do not think it is a great idea to reduce the numbers of students learning English, however, the whole system of examinations requires an overhaul to reduce student pressure. This is not confined to English learning. Granted, if the proposal makes the higher education system more welcoming to poorer students who may not have solid English skills, and who are therefore at a structural disadvantage, then parts of this proposal may have more merit than is immediately apparent.

Any conference has its headline moments and interesting sideshows. China’s annual power pow-wow is no different…

• In case you were in doubt about China’s market economic realities, Beijing No. 4 High School principal chides the rigidity of the high school entrance examination system while openly supporting payment for positions at his school. Principal Mr Liu Changming finds it reasonable for parents to spend extra money to secure a position for their child at a top school if they miss the entrance score by a small margin.  ”If a parent offers us 5 million RMB, I will definitely admit that student despite being 20 points below the entrance score”, mused Liu. While we do not support this sort of action, it does point to problems with school funding shortfalls, which are yet to be addressed.
• Some CPPCC members made direct complaints to the MoE. Jiangsu Province delegate Mr Huang Yinhui expressed annoyance at the level of detail in university quality assessments made by the MoE. Huang indicated that they are too disruptive of a university’s normal operation, and exert undue influence in areas best left to individual administrators. A frustrated Huang asked, “What are you doing? What are you doing taking care of a university’s principle business? Do you have too much time and have nothing else to do?” We look forward to the MoE’s response!
• In one of the more quirky proposals, CPPCC National Committee Member and leading medical professional Mr Feng Shiliang wants to see a reduction in students’  bag weight as the first step to ease their workload. Having conducted research into the matter, Feng fears a rise of back-related injuries and suggests a halt to textbooks being printed on “luxury”, heavy-weighted papers, preferring the lighter and cheaper versions instead.

We are still waiting for more detail on the government’s 2020 education plan, the specifics of which do not seem to have been discussed at this outing. Several of the issues raised, however, do fit within the general objectives of the plan outlined earlier in the year.