The Evolution of Vocational Education Titles in China: A Historical Investigation

Vocational education, as an exact academic term, originated from “Tianpin Putong Jiaoxiwen” written by Yao Wendong, the general manager of Shanxi Agriculture and Forestry School in 1904. However, the practice of vocational education as a type of education runs through the development of Chinese society, and its emergence and development have experienced a relatively long evolution process. In China, vocational education has experienced the development of traditional apprenticeship, industrial education, vocational education, technical education, and vocational and technical education. With the promulgation and implementation of the Chinese Vocational Education Law in 1996, and vocational education practice and theoretical exploration for more than 40 years since the reform and opening up, it was not until the 2014 national policy document that vocational education was finally adopted as a parallel education type of Chinese general education. Only when there is a clearer understanding of the characteristics and essential attributes of vocational education as a type of education and a consensus is reached, the dispute over the title of vocational education will gradually subside in the academic circle.