Henan postsecondary vocational education: Problems, analysis and solutions

Henan province is eagerly spearheading a massive expansion of higher education in a very radical way in recent years; gross enrollment rate has reached 16% in 2004, which means the period of mass higher education is coming. Its postsecondary vocational education attained achievements as well as raised challenges, although it trained many skilled practical workers to serve the improvement of Henan´s economics. Its pioneering spirit will set an example for many other modernizing and industrializing provinces in China even other nations. This article deals with the postsecondary vocational education and its great expansion process in Henan as a case analysis. Firstly the system of postsecondary vocational education in China and the concept of mass higher education are described to give a general idea of China´s postsecondary vocational education system. The focus of this article is, however, mainly on the achievements and challenges of postsecondary vocational education taking place in recent years in particular. Besides the description of frog-leap expansion and finally three measures to meet these challenges are detailed.