A Comparative Research Of The Secondary Vocational Education In China And Germany

As an essential component of modern education, secondary vocational education is the important backbone towards industrialization, production-socialization and modernization. The economy take-off and adjustment of industrial structure in present China are in urgent need of people with practical skills who can work in the very front of manufacturing, service and management fields. Yet China's late start in secondary vocational education with a weak foundation, backward educational concepts as well as inefficient school running systems, has resulted in a slow development of its secondary vocational education and has therefore severely hindered the development of national economy. In this sense, it remains an essential strategic task in present China to push forward the reform of vocational education systems, strengthen secondary vocational education and cultivate hundreds of millions of highly qualified laborers. As one of the most developed countries in terms of vocational education, Germany is proud of its perfect vocational education systems, strict teacher-training framework and relative vocational education laws and regulations. It's also armed with the "secret weapon" of "dual vocational education mode" which has contributed a lot to its economic take-off. As an exemplar in Europe, German vocational education has also gained a world-wide fame for Germany. Of course different countries have their own characteristics in their vocational education systems due to their different levels of economic development and employment systems, yet the point in common for all successful modes is that they combine tightly with their own country's practice to further boost both social and economic developments. Therefore, we can only find a way suitable for China's vocational education developments by combining China's own practice while referring to existing German experiences.By means of comparative research, historical research as well as case analysis, this essay compares the differences of China and Germany in educational concepts, training organizations, teaching management, etc.. The essay also analyzes the reasons for China's difficulties in student recruitment, school-running and employment of graduates. Solutions arealso put forward by the essay, such as the renovation of educational concepts, the deep reform of present vocational education systems, favorable policies from the government, more financial support, the construction of a well-trained team of teachers, the perfection of the vocational qualification certificate system and the evaluation system, and the enhancement of the skills of running a secondary vocational school. By referring to the advanced experiences offered by German vocational education, the essay suggests to speed the reform and development of China's secondary vocational education and shape its own characteristics.