No Smooth Sailing for Seafarers

Oriental Outlook

July 10

Chinese sailors recently celebrated International Day of the Seafarer on June 25 and China Maritime Day, which fell on July 11. However, these two holidays have not received much attention from the public, much like Chinese seafarers, who remain an obscure group and have not received adequate attention.

Every Chinese citizen benefits from the work of the nation's seafarers. For example, many resources crucial to the economy and people's livelihoods such as crude oil are imported by sea.

In order to build itself into a great maritime power, China must improve its shipbuilding ability and upgrade its marine engineering equipment. Seafarers have become the driving force in achieving this national goal. However, in the past few years, though the number of Chinese deep-sea sailors has more than doubled to over 570,000, there is still a labor shortage. Fewer and fewer graduates from navigation colleges are willing to work at sea, with less than 20 percent of bachelor's degree holders in navigation still on the waters five years after graduation. Additionally, advancements in navigation technology have raised the standard for recruiting sailors. Being of sound health is a prerequisite, but many more qualifications must be met.

To make up for China's lack of seafaring personnel, better treatment is needed. Only by showing more respect to these sailors will future navigation college graduates be inclined to devote themselves to the country's success at sea.

Making Vocational Education Work

Outlook Weekly

June 30

More than 8 million students have graduated from vocational schools, at secondary and tertiary levels alike, around China this year. They will apply skills learned at school to their work and make contributions to the country's economy.

After decades of effort, it's apparent that China's vocational education system has made remarkable progress. Vocational students have played a significant role in the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, with 60 percent of those working in such companies in 2012 being tertiary vocational school graduates.

Since most students attending vocational schools come from low-income families and showed weak academic performance at school, technical education has improved their work skills and enabled them to begin a decent career. In 2012, 90 percent of tertiary vocational school graduates were able to land a job and registered an average monthly salary of 2,731 yuan ($440) half a year after graduation. For most of them, their income could be doubled three years after graduation.

In spite of the progress being made, technicians are still lacking. The All China Federation of Trade Unions predicts that the country is in need of a minimum of 22 million-33 million more technicians in order to meet the labor demand fueled by ongoing urbanization.

Additionally, vocational schools are faced with continual problems like inadequate funds and weak teaching faculties, which should be addressed by carrying out structural reforms. Most importantly, technical education should be included as a criterion for judging local governments' performance so that they can put this sector at the top of their agenda.

Banquets Fuel Bribery

Guangming Daily

July 14

Every year, during graduation season, many parents and students in China hold lavish banquets to express gratitude to their teachers. This year, however, such banquets have been banned by the educational and disciplinary inspection authorities in a number of cities in a bid to crack down on corruption and extravagance.

It is a traditional Chinese virtue to respect teachers and attach great value to education. Admission to a high school or university is considered a joyous occasion. That's why Chinese families host celebratory banquets to thank former teachers. However, in reality, such feasts are turning into nothing short of extortion for all parties involved.

Originally, the graduation banquet was a way to show gratitude. What mattered was not the cost of the meal, but the emotions and respect conveyed during it. These days, restaurants have created various meal packages with alluring names to attract customers. Better advertising has sent the price of these celebratory feasts soaring. This increased price, in turn, constitutes a huge financial burden for some parents, believing a more expensive banquet is equivalent to more respect.

Normally, such appreciation meals are held after students take their school entrance exams. However, some parents now treat teachers ahead of these examinations, believing that it will lead to more attention and better education for their children at school. This practice harms equality between students and puts pressure on educators to avoid showing bias.

Perhaps most depravedly, some officials holding banquets for their children's teachers have even had their bills paid by those seeking to offer them bribes. In this case, corruption, extravagance, and favoritism have all been fostered.

In lieu of those banquets, there are many other ways to express gratitude to educators. A thank-you card or a bouquet can just as easily convey a student's appreciation, but studying hard and achieving success in one's career are definitely the best reward for teachers.