In a document issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Education once again emphasized the "practical capability" of occupational education students by reforming the teaching system.

Acting as the guideline for occupation education of this year, the document stipulates that courses on occupational skills should account for two thirds of the total school hours for students at occupational middle schools. And current school courses should be readjusted in accordance with actual demand.

Practice hours will be counted in a student's academic credits, said the document. A student may go for practice any time he wants to and go back to academic study when he finishes the practice credits.

Such a move is to enhance the "practical capability" of students, said a senior official with the Ministry of Education.

Behind his remarks, there are complaints that some students in occupational education are "no use" in front of practical tasks. To improve the situation, China has begun to set up a market-oriented teaching system of occupational education and put "practical capability" on top priority. Occupational schools are pushed to find companies as partners to provide practice opportunities for their students.

The Ministry also called on occupational schools to develop short-term training program for migration workers and farmers.

The document also stressed to establish a job-market monitoring system that connects with the occupational schools, and add start-up education in occupational schools.

Statistics showed that in 2007, China has 14,800 occupational schools with 19.87 million on-campus students. More than 95 percent of the graduates from these schools can find jobs against fierce competition.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2009)