How to Solve the Problem of ‘Shortage of Traditional Students - Senior Technicians’ under the Background of the Development of Vocational Education-Basing on the Perspective of Value-Tool Rationality

Abstract

Since 2014, the State Council of China has issued a series of important policies to promote the rapid development of vocational education. However, it has not changed the dilemma of ‘shortage of traditional students - senior technicians’ in the labor market. Previous studies have analyzed the above difficulties from three aspects: vocational schools, third party cooperation, and policy guidance, but they have not overcome the practical dilemma well. Basing on the perspective of Weber's theory of value rationality-tool rationality, the paper believes that the main reason for the dilemma lies in the orthodox consensus circle of ‘ordinary high school-college entrance examination-university-work’ formed by labor market, parents/students, and school. It is the continuous generation of this highly structured consensus circle that has put great pressure on students, forcing them to dare not select, and disidentify themselves, resulting in not only insufficient enrollment, but also students ‘low-quality’ in vocational schools. However, the series of current policies are unable to hedge this consensus circle, the paper gives four targeted suggestions.