Towards a trinitarian degree system of academic degree, professional degree and vocational degree

• In Event: Quality and Equity in reforming higher education programmes

Proposal

Since the beginning of the 21st century, higher education has developed rapidly worldwide. According to the statistics of UNESCO, in 2020, the gross enrollment rate of higher education in 68 countries exceeded 50%, realizing the popularization of higher education, among which higher vocational education played a more important role than higher academic education. In order to establish an inclusive, high-quality, fair and lifelong learning system, more and more countries have established degrees in the field of higher vocational education, which has effectively promoted the development of higher vocational education. In China, number of higher vocational colleges and universities as well as students in these institutions account for more than half of the country's total. However, although there are many reasons for the lack of attraction of vocational education in China, one of the most important reasons lies that vocational education is a "dead end". There is neither an upward channel nor a channel to transfer to other tracks, which hinders students' confidence in vocational education. Therefore, how to open up the development channel of vocational education and build people's confidence in vocational education is an urgent issue to be solved in the development of vocational education in China.
This research aimed to compare and analyze the development of vocational degree worldwide and used policy borrowing strategy to set up the vocational degree system in China, aiming to create a trinitarian degree system of academic degree, professional degree and vocational degree for the whole education system. In this study, comprehensive methods, including systematic literature review, policy content analysis as well as interviews, were used, investigating the development of vocational degree worldwide and possibilities of setting up vocational degree system in China. Data was collected mainly based on the existing literature and policy documents on vocational degrees worldwide in recent years and interviews with experts, officials, teachers and students in the vocational institutions. The analysis and discussion focused on the strategies of degrees for higher vocational education worldwide, the possible arrangement for vocational degrees and its relations with the existing academic degrees, professional degrees in China.
The research finds out many countries as USA, UK, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, France, Germany have their different degrees for vocational education. China is carrying out the reform of vocational education and trying to develop vocational education at the undergraduate level. But it is unrealistic to enhance the attraction of vocational education without developing higher-level vocational education, breaking through the "dead end" of vocational education and establishing the degree system of vocational education. China's vocational education system should include short-cycle education, undergraduate education, master education, and even doctoral education in the future. Therefore, from a vertical perspective, the degree system of vocational education should include associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree and even doctor's degree in the future, so as to give every student of vocational education room for upward development; From a horizontal perspective, the degree system of vocational education should be interconnected with the existing academic degree system and professional degree system, so as to provide space for students of vocational education to transfer to other tracks, and students of other tracks can also switch to the track of vocational education. Thus, China's degree system is an equal trinitarian degree system of academic degree, professional degree and vocative degree that meets the needs of lifelong learning and provide equal opportunities for vocational students.
In the era of lifelong learning, higher vocational education is becoming more and more important, popular, diversified and globalized. The current study is expected to add value for research and practice of vocational education in China and beyond.

Author

• Baocun Liu, Beijing Normal University