Australia, Middle School Vocational Education Research

Since the early 1980s,in response to the increasing competition between countries on the background of globalization and high youth unemployment rate. The trends of secondary schools reform has occurred all around the world. In hope that social problems could be solved by means of reform. The methodology of the reform is to add more vocational education courses on secondary schools curriculum,and to realise the unity of general education and vocational education .This dissertation chooses vocational education and training (VET) in Australian secondary schools as the research topic, and chooses New South Wales as reasearch sample, and attempts to present the spicific practices of this respect. We hope we could get some enlightenment and experience to our secondary schools reform from Australian. The main purpose of VET in Australian secondary schools is to attract more students to take part in formal VET, and to instruct them useful vocational skills. VET in secondary schools mainly includes vocational inclination courses in junior secondary schools, VET courses in senior secondary schools and School-Based New Apprenticeship programme . Among them ,VET courses in senior secondary schools are key points. During the course of reform, all grades of government ,ministry of VET and industries in New South Wales cooperate actively, and effectively promote the development of VET in secondary schools.The framework of the dissertation runs as follows:The introduction to the dissertation explains the significance of the study,defines the chief concepts used in the article,analyzes the achievements and shortcomings of the earlier studies on topics relevant to this study and introduces the ways of thinking and research methods of the study.In chapter 1, the general situation to VET system in Australia is mainly intorduced, including managing organization to VET and all kinds of credentials. Meanwhile, it introduces the national and international background to the development of VET in secondary schools. Intemational backgound includes economical globalization and the trend of integration between general and vocational education. The national background includes national economic development and youth unemployment. In chapter 2, the reform practices on developing VET in senior secondary schools in Australia is discussed, which is the highlight of this dissertation. Adalaide Declarition represents the opening of VET in secondary schools. And the statistics from 2000 to 2005 about VET in secondary schools justified its thriving development. On introduction of vocational inclination courses in junior secondary schools,what kinds of skills and what effects the industries have to schools has been conveyed. The introduction of VET coueses in senior high schools and corresponding statistics justyfies its popularity among students in secondary schools. School—Based New Apprenticeship programme is the intensive reflection that both government and industries devote effectively to VET in secondary schools.In chapter 3, the characteristics of VET in secondary schools in Australia is analysed. Industries and government play a role of inducting and protecting in the course of carrying out. The middle and higher level vocational education combine with each other by means of credit system,which guarantee its smooth implementation. Futhermore, paying more attention to development of key competence is another characteristic. These are three main point which make VET in schools success.In charpter 4,the main content is about the implication of VET in schools in Australia to China. Based on all the above presentations, with the present situation in secondary schools in China, the reform to schools of China should begin with curriculum stucture and credit system. The former consists of integrating and optimizing soft and hard enviroment in schools, as well as adding comprehensive practice course in original curriculum. Credit system is an curriculum managing system, which is necessary choice for person,school and society.At last, the dissertation appeals that both schools and society emphasize VET in schools and draw lessons from the pratical experience of VET in schools in Australia; that build and form the educational modal of unity in general and vocational education which holds Chinese feature and complys with educational development in China.;that fully realises the educational function of secondary schools, and that cultivates qualified graduates to the society.