The differences of vocational education home and abroad

Vocational education was once looked down upon by people. Many parents of examinees of College Entrance Examinations prefer paying large sums of sponsorship and tuition fee， sending their children to an obscure university and getting a diploma to giving them vocational trainings. However， such opinion is changing rapidly. Vocational education is becoming popular and more and more parents are paying attention to vocational education， traditional academic education is subjected to the strong impact of vocational education.

在中國，職業(yè)教育曾經(jīng)一度被人帶著有色眼鏡來看待，很多高考生家長寧肯花大把的贊助費、高昂的學費讓孩子去一個名不見經(jīng)傳的大學讀四年，拿回個畢業(yè)證書，也不愿意把孩子送去進行職業(yè)培訓，但現(xiàn)在，這種觀念正在改變。職業(yè)教育成了香餑餑，越來越多的家長開始重視起職業(yè)教育，傳統(tǒng)的學歷教育正在經(jīng)受職業(yè)教育的強大沖擊。

“People become unemployed after graduating from ordinary universities， they should go to vocational training schools!”， “IT trainings are not bad， people can study near their home， pay less money than going to universities， and turn out to have a good job.”

In some countries， vocational education is an important part of education， but not in the junior middle school stage， but the senior middle school stage. In many countries， enrollment of vocational education is part of the enrollment of senior middle school stage and makes up high proportion. Especially in Indonesia， Thailand， Korea and Israel， the proportion can be up to 40%. The proportion in Czech Republic and Australia is about 70%， that in Belgium， Germany， Italy， the Netherlands and Switzerland is 60%， and in France， Denmark and Finland is 50%. Viewed from an overall perspective， the development of vocational education is weaker than European and OECD countries.

German vocational education is very advance. Technicians are of very good skills. In this country more than half of the students choose vocational trainings as their educational direction. Meanwhile， ordinary senior middles and vocational schools can exchange students after they have studied for two years， i.e.， students with poor academic performance of ordinary senior high school can go to vocational school to acquire skills， while students with good academic performance of vocational schools can study in ordinary senior high school and prepare for entering university. What is more， many senior high school students with good academic performance are not hurry to enter famous university， they tend to go to vocational schools to acquire some skills， and then acquire theory in university， such students are more easily to have achievements.

“普通大學畢業(yè)也就是失業(yè)，去讀職業(yè)培訓學校吧！”、“IT培訓也不錯，就在家門口上學，花的錢比上大學少，還能有份不錯的工作?！迸c以往不同的是，現(xiàn)在很多家長從實際出發(fā)，選擇送孩子接受職業(yè)教育。在一些國家，職業(yè)教育是教育的重要組成部分，但不是在初中階段而是在高中階段。職業(yè)教育招生作為高中階段招生的一部分，在很多國家都有相當高的比例。其中在印度尼西亞、泰國、韓國和以色列該比例達到約40%左右。而相應的該比例在捷克共和國和澳大利亞約為70%，比利時、德國、意大利、荷蘭、瑞士該比例為60%，法國、丹麥、芬蘭等國該比例為50%。從整體上看，亞洲地區(qū)的職業(yè)教育要比歐洲和OECD國家發(fā)展弱得多。

德國的職業(yè)教育非常先進，技術(shù)工人水平很高。在這個國家半數(shù)以上的學生都選擇了職業(yè)技術(shù)培訓作為自己的教育方向，同時普通高中與職業(yè)學校在學生入學兩年后，生源可以互動，即普通高中成績差的學生可以轉(zhuǎn)入職業(yè)學校學習技能，而職業(yè)學校成績好的學生可以進入普通高中學習，為上大學做準備。最難能可貴的是，很多成績好的高中畢業(yè)生并不急于進名牌大學學習，而是先進職業(yè)學校學一門技術(shù)，然后再去大學學理論，這樣的學生以后更容易做出成就。

In contrast， in China， many junior high school students choose to go to senior high schools after graduation， and they only go to vocational schools when they are not enrolled by senior high schools. In addition， not many people go to vocational schools， because many children of rural areas tend to go to work directly after they graduate from junior high school without standard vocational trainings. At present， there are interactions between the vocational education， mechanic colleges and universities education and higher education. However， it is difficult for senior high schools and vocational schools to exchange students. It is almost impossible for students of vocational schools to go to senior high schools， and few senior high school students choose to go to vocational schools.

Besides in abroad， it is a common practice that the salary of a senior skilled worker is higher than that of a senior engineer. However， it is impossible in China at present， in that senior engineers usually have had university education or rich working experience. They are very qualified and get the title after being accessed in many aspects， their skills are higher， and therefore their salaries are higher.

相比較而言，在中國，大多數(shù)的學生初中畢業(yè)后的首選是上高中，上不了高中才選擇職業(yè)學校，而且上職業(yè)學校的人數(shù)不多，許多農(nóng)村的孩子初中畢業(yè)后就直接去打工，根本沒有經(jīng)過正規(guī)的職業(yè)培訓。目前中國職業(yè)、技工院校教育與高等教育之間已有了互通。但是高中與職業(yè)學校的學生很難進行生源互動，職業(yè)學校的學生幾乎不可能進高中學習，也很少有高中生選擇上職業(yè)學校的。

除中國之外，一個通行的規(guī)律是：一個高級技工的工資要高于一名高級工程師。而在國內(nèi)，目前是不可能的。高級工程師一般都受過大學教育或工作經(jīng)驗豐富，非常有資歷，經(jīng)過各項評估才獲得的職稱，水平較高，待遇自然也高。

Since at present the skills of technicians who come from ordinary vocational education is limited， and most of them take up ordinary primary work of skills without any development in technology innovation and high-difficulty technology， so their salaries are not high. Their salaries can be even lower compared with some administrative staff.

Though the current situation of vocational education in China is turning good， there are many places that need improvement. Most of the popularity of vocational education is owing to utilitarian and practical causes. Compared with foreign vocational education， the largest difference is that the purposes of students are different. In abroad， since there is no pressure of employment， students often go to vocational trainings schools out of their passion for a certain career， or their interest in handling some equipment. Parents usually encourage their students to do what they like， because it is easier to have achievements; however， in China， due to pressure of employment， people who ask their children to choose vocational education just want them to master a skill， and find jobs easily. Some do not even have relationship with personal interests， but is a way of making a living. Therefore， most of the graduates of vocational schools in China are operation staff rather than innovators.

由于中國目前普通職業(yè)教育培養(yǎng)出來的技術(shù)人員水平有限，大部分從事著普通的初級技術(shù)工作，而并沒有在技術(shù)創(chuàng)新、高難度技術(shù)方面有所發(fā)展，所以待遇并不高。與一些行政人員相比，待遇相同甚至還要低些。

盡管現(xiàn)在中國的職業(yè)教育現(xiàn)狀有了好轉(zhuǎn)，但由于起步晚，的確存在很多需要改進的地方。職業(yè)教育在中國變得火熱帶有很大部分功利性、實際的原因。與國外職業(yè)教育相比，最主要的區(qū)別是學生上學的目的不一樣。在國外，由于沒有就業(yè)的壓力，孩子上職業(yè)培訓學校是因為喜歡從事某個行業(yè)，或喜歡動手操作某些儀器，家長也鼓勵孩子做自己喜歡的事，做喜歡的事情容易出成績；而在國內(nèi)，由于就業(yè)的壓力，老百姓讓孩子選擇職業(yè)教育的目的純粹是為了掌握一門技能，為了好就業(yè)，有的甚至與個人興趣沒有太大的關(guān)系，只是一個生存的飯碗而已。由此，中國培養(yǎng)出來的大部分是操作工人，而不是創(chuàng)新者。