Reported by: CHEN Baoquan, China Education Daily
Translated by: MIAO Siwei and WEI Hongjia
Edited by: Patti Broderick
Updated: 2012-3-23
During the 2012 National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the National Education Plan was the heated issue discussed. March 8th, HIT President and NPC Deputy WANG Shuguo granted a China Education News’ reporter an interview.
“Education Reform is a massive and complicated process which cannot be accomplished unilaterally by education.”
Reporter: After the National Outline for Medium- and Long-Term Educational Reform and Development was released, education reform again aroused the public’s scrutiny. What’s your opinion about this latest plan?
WANG Shuguo: Having received widespread support, the National Education Plan’s development and implementation is likely to trigger a new round of education reform. I hope government will lose no time in drafting detailed rules of implementation and will strengthen intra-government coordination.
Education reform and development is a massive and complicated process which cannot be accomplished unilaterally by education. Instead, it needs broad popular support.
Any new education policy under the national Scientific Outlook on Development must pay close attention to education funding, teacher status, human resource distribution, and retirement pensions.
A nation cannot progress stably and harmoniously unless it develops the talents of its populace. I think we should stick to four principles: comprehending thoroughly the Central Party Committee’s soul; calling boldly upon the entire nation’s participation; appealing resolutely to every government department for its support and cooperation; and welcoming the public’s supervision with transparency.
“Diversity among academic schools creates an environment for innovation.”
Reporter: What’s your view on the mandate in the National Education Plan for “Implementing and Expanding University Autonomy”?
WANG Shuguo: Universities need flexibility to further develop. Universities differ in academic priorities, geographic location, and industrial partnerships, spawning experts and scholars with differing perceptions of education thereby contributing to a rich and varied campus culture. Only with myriad perspectives can we hope to foster institutions of research and exploration capable of meeting the challenges for innovation that lie before us.
In addition, excessive administrative oversight and resource incentives divert scholars to focus upon utilitarian goals, like the number of papers published for China’s Best Paper Award (a national award for excellent doctoral theses), or the number of classes or projects meriting a teaching evaluation of “A”. These excesses sidetrack scientists from their research, and even contribute to the unconscionable extreme of plagiarism and academic misconduct, deviating from the university’s very soul. This management model which thwarts innovation should be altered, and even reformed.
Currently, even the most basic resources are never distributed without strings attached. In these circumstances, students and researchers are reluctant to offer unfettered feedback for fear of biting the hand that feeds them. University presidents are not exempt from thinking about their next meal. Power and obligations complement one another; for those in leadership, the patrons controlling the vast resources of government are a mere phone call away, relentlessly micromanaging the disbursements. They demand exceptions one day, accommodations the next, and a blind eye thereafter. If this system is allowed to continue, universities are certain to implode before their presidents can discharge their duties.
In an effort at initial reform, HIT attempted to streamline party responsibilities into 13 offices, but failed due to the pervasive “business as usual” attitudes. Pressure to restore the status quo ensued immediately and prevailed.
Universities and Society Impact Higher Education
REPORTER: The university’s relationship with society is another essential ingredient to the modern tertiary education system. The National Outline for Medium- and Long Term Educational Reform and Development, recommends universities expand collaborations with society and welcome feedback regarding its performance. Would you please comment upon this?
WANG Shuguo: This relationship also influences the future development of higher education. Nowadays, schooling is becoming increasingly removed from society. Elementary and secondary schools teach children without any exposure to society; universities have also insulated themselves from both society and industry. Incredibly, some vocational colleges have divorced themselves entirely from business and industry. So, it is not difficult to imagine the incongruity that their graduates’ skills may have for the current employment market. The root of this problem is actually the mechanism. Since universities get resources from the country, employers have little influence in the evaluation and funding of universities.
In America and some European countries, corporations freely evaluate universities according to the graduates’ employment rate and professional development after three to five years. Student/teacher ratio is a crucial indicator of education quality. Currently, the ratio for some universities surpasses 20:1, while others have reached 30:1. How can universities guarantee a quality education with such high ratios? At HIT, we are determined to maintain a student/teacher ratio below 13:1. Also, we have developed some high quality pilot classes in which the student/teacher ratio is 5:1 or lower. At this time, we are unable to expand these experimental programs, because educational funding is granted based upon student enrollment. If we reduce the number of students in every classroom, we couldn’t afford to pay our teachers, let alone the exceptionally qualified teachers. If this funding mechanism remains unchanged, and universities don’t receive funding based upon both employer feedback and graduate quality, then many universities will continue to expand enrollment rather than improve graduate quality. Universities will not care whether their graduates meet corporate needs, or can find jobs related to their majors, but rather publishing papers and securing research projects, because these are the activities that generate additional resources.
Education reform and development is a long-term process, vital to millions of families throughout China and our nation’s future. Education development needs broad popular support and its reform needs broad participation and ideas if education is to be improved.
Original from China Education Daily March 8, 2012 Page 1
