On April 15 and 16, Minister of Education Chen Baosheng visited Hebei Province to evaluate the implementation of outcomes of the National Conference on Vocational Education and other work priorities in the education sector.
Chen Baosheng met with Wang Dongfeng, Secretary of Party Committee of Hebei Province and Xu Qin, Governor of Hebei Province, and listened to reports given by representatives from the provincial education authorities. Chen also visited a number of schools and higher education establishments, including Hebei Normal University, Hebei University of Industry and Technology, Shijiazhuang No. 17 Middle School, Xingtai Guoshoujing Primary School, Xingtai Special Education School, Xingtai Modern Occupation School, and Xingtai Polytechnic College.
Chen Baosheng pointed out that solid progress had been made in Hebei Province’s education sector, and that fresh effort was needed to achieve the goals set out in the 14th Five-Year-Plan. Chen stressed that the National Conference on Vocational Education exerted significant influence on the development of China’s vocational education, and it was now urgent to implement the outcomes of the conference. Several measures should be taken: 1) Shifting old mindsets and removing institutional barriers that have been for a long time hampering the development of vocational education, and developing practice-oriented pedagogical concepts; 2) stepping up the establishment of a modern vocational education system; 3) strengthening the development of secondary vocational schools, the foundation of vocational education ; 4) supporting the development of vocational colleges, the core of vocational education; 5) optimizing use of social resources; 6) enhancing school-enterprise-industry partnerships; and 7) producing a large number of skilled professionals who can serve the national and regional economy.