The Ministry of Education (MOE) recently released 758 newly developed or revised standards for professional teaching in vocational education (“New Standards”).
The New Standards form an essential component of the national teaching standard system and provide guidance on professional teaching in vocational education. They contain 11 sections: Overview; Major Fields of Study (Major Codes); Entry Requirements; Normal Period of Study; Targeted Professions; Training Objectives; Training Specifications; Curriculum and Credit Hour Arrangements; Teachers; Teaching Conditions; Quality Assurance Measures; and Graduation Requirements.
In comparison to previous standards, the New Standards specify teaching requirements for vocational secondary schools as well as higher vocational and professional tertiary programs, with a stronger emphasis on cultivating professional competencies and fieldwork capabilities. This change is designed to align vocational education with industrial and technological advancements and integrate digitalization and artificial intelligence into professional teaching.
The New Standards also allow vocational schools flexibility to tailor their own courses and teaching activities, taking into consideration regional and industry-specific circumstances.
Overall, the New Standards cover 52.9% of all 1,434 majors listed in the Catalogue of Vocational Education Programs, spanning 19 academic disciplines and 90 major categories. Specifically, these standards include 233 on secondary vocational education, 471 on short-cycle tertiary vocational programs, and 64 on undergraduate vocational programs. Among them, 52 pertain to primary industries, while 292 and 414 pertain to secondary and tertiary industries, respectively. According to 2024 statistics, the New Standards will impact over 101,000 vocational education programs, representing 82.1% of all such programs nationwide.
Development of the New Standards was a concerted effort led by the MOE in collaboration with more than 9,500 experts from around 4,600 vocational schools, regular HEIs, enterprises, research institutes, and scholarly organizations. The MOE also consulted nearly 100 industrial regulatory institutions, industry associations, and local educational administrative departments, taking more than three years to complete this work.
Moving forward, the MOE will organize educational administrative departments and vocational education steering committees across the country to promote the New Standards. Local vocational schools will receive guidance on implementing the standards, revising talent training programs, and improving teaching quality.
