Liu Shinan

Improved educational standards required

By Liu Shinan (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-07 05:57

One cannot but marvel at the rapid pace of change in China today. Just a few years ago, college graduates were dubbed the "elite of society" and they scorned any job with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan (US$375) or less.

Today, however, it is not rare for college graduates to compete with rural migrant workers for jobs. A widespread joke goes that when a company boss yells that he needs 10 workers, he is answered by five migrant workers, four college graduates and a holder of a masters degree.

That is an obvious exaggeration, but it is an indisputable fact that the employment situation is grim for college graduates.

Statistics from the Ministry of Personnel indicate that 4.13 million college students will graduate this year, a year-on-year rise of 22 per cent. But the labour market's demand for college graduates is estimated at 1.67 million, 22 per cent less than last year.

And another survey indicates that of all the graduates who have signed contracts with employers this year, 47.1 per cent earn a monthly salary lower than 1,500 yuan (US$187). A migrant worker earns about 800-1,200 yuan (US$99-148) a month in cities like Beijing and Shenzhen.

The situation has attracted the attention of the central government. Last week, 14 institutions and departments under the central authorities jointly issued a notice to local governments asking them to "do a good job" in helping college graduates find jobs.

The notice says local governments should pay unemployment subsidies to students who have not found a job by September 1.

The worsening status of college graduates offers much food for thought.

It appears that China's labour market simply has too many people with a college education.

In fact, however, the nation has far from enough people with a higher education. In the United States, there are 1,500 college graduates for every 10,000 people; in Japan, there are 900; in China, the number is 150. It is unimaginable that China, whose economy grows at a nearly two-digit rate annually and is catching up with developed nations, would not need any more college graduates.

The reality is that the bosses of China's enterprises are becoming more and more savvy amid the increasingly tense market competition. They are more pragmatic in their recruitment. They attach more importance to the applicant's practical abilities than they do to diplomas.

College graduates are expected to be resourceful and creative when accomplishing their tasks, and they should also have a sound professional knowledge. Unfortunately, most yes, most of them do not meet these requirements.

There are many reasons for this lamentable situation. The top one is the degeneration of China's universities and colleges in the name of the "industrialization of education."

It is undeniable that China has many elite universities, especially those founded before the 1950s. But a large number of universities and colleges were established on the basis of former secondary schools in the 1990s, when education became a lucrative "industry." Teachers in these schools are far inferior in academic standards to their peers in established universities.

The "industrialization of education" also led to universities giving priority to the hunt for profits rather than the pursuit of academic advancement. Professors and lecturers tend to stick to textbooks they have used for years rather than engage in research to update the knowledge they are to impart to their students, saving their energy for moonlighting.

Students are also influenced by this atmosphere and engage in shorted-sighted acts aimed at quick gains. In addition to their basic courses, they devote much of the time in their first two years to learning English. And they spend most of the time in the fourth year finding potential employers. Many of them have to do part-time jobs to pay huge tuition fees. The time they actually spend studying their major is very limited.

Given these facts, it is not difficult to work out why these students cannot meet employers' requirements.

In a speech on Monday at the conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, President Hu Jintao said: "We must stick to the strategic thinking that talented human resources are the most important of all resources."

Can China's universities and colleges provide talents that meet this standard if they do not mend their ways? I doubt it.

Email: liushinan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/07/2006 page4)