A national political advisor suggested strengthening support for vocational education and intangible cultural heritages in border ethnic regions.

Su Haizhen, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), dressed in her Jing ethnic minority costume, speaks to China.org.cn outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 4, 2024. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Su Haizhen, a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and deputy principal of Dongxing City Secondary Vocational Technical School, told China.org.cn that in recent years vocational education in China has developed rapidly. With attention and promotion at both the national and local levels, vocational education in border ethnic regions have also seen significant progress. However, the overall development of vocational institution in border ethnic regions is still limited.

"Strengthening educational support in such regions and vigorously developing vocational education are important means to promote local economic development, boost employment and improve people's livelihoods," said Su, a Jing ethnic minority, who is attending the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee scheduled to take place from March 4 - 10 in Beijing. "They also serve as primary measures to alleviate local labor supply and demand contradictions. Furthermore, they are crucial assurances for enhancing the overall quality of border ethnic regions, improving the quality of life and preserving ethnic culture, while also better promoting high-quality economic development in the area."

Su, hailing from Dongxing city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China, which borders Vietnam, has firsthand knowledge of the local situation. Su explained that vocational education in border ethnic regions still faces numerous challenges such as poor infrastructure, a lack of professional educators, insufficient training facilities, inappropriate specializations, student recruitment difficulties and a lack of public awareness. Therefore, improving vocational education and the public's awareness are both crucial for strengthening education and employment perspectives in these areas. 

In her proposal submitted to the second session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee this year, the national political advisor advocated for increased investment in vocational education within border ethnic regions, including better facilities, skilled technical teachers, and sought-after specialties. She called for enhanced promotion and awareness of vocational education through partnerships between government, media and schools. To encourage student enrollment, Su also urged for such benefits like tuition waivers and scholarships to be established. Lastly, Su suggested bolstering employment support for graduates, fostering industry-education collaboration and cultivating international collaboration with ASEAN countries, particularly Vietnam, to attract talent and establish a cross-border exchange and cooperation platform.

Alongside advocating for the enhancement of vocational education, Su, an artist and a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor who plays the Duxianqin, a single-stringed dulcimer, also urged the central government to increase funding and support for cultural ecological protection zones and intangible cultural heritage in border areas. She proposes building 40 border intangible cultural heritage workshops in eight border counties (districts/cities) and integrating intangible cultural heritage within cultural tourism to promote traditional Chinese culture. She hopes the development of a robust local cultural tourism sector will consolidate and expand poverty alleviation achievements and stimulate industrial and rural revitalization.