In China, a university diploma was once seen as a prerequisite for a successful life achievement. The reality is that while the number of college students has skyrocketed, real job opportunities have fallen far behind. Unexpectedly, only 20% of college students today find a suitable job. This begs the question: what have we gained over the years of higher education expansion?
Looking back at China's higher education in the past two decades, it is not difficult to find a clear trend: there are more and more universities, and the number of students receiving higher education has exploded every year. Governments and parents have long believed that more universities and more degrees are a bridge to social stability and personal success. But the bridge doesn't seem to have been built very strongly.
The cause of this can be traced back to around 2000, when China's higher education began to expand massively. The push of policies and the expectations of families have combined to create a huge education bubble. Universities are expanding their enrollment, the number of students is increasing every year, and it seems that everyone can change their destiny through education.
Behind the rapid growth lies huge problems, first of all, the mismatch in the job market, although the number of university students is increasing every year, the number of high-quality jobs that can absorb these graduates has not increased in tandem. This has led to a grim reality - a large number of college students cannot find a job after graduation, or can only work in low-end jobs that do not match their majors.
Let's look at the quality of education. As the number of universities increases, educational resources become unevenly distributed, and many emerging universities are unable to provide high-quality education. These schools tend to focus on theoretical teaching and ignore the cultivation of practical ability, which directly affects the employability of students.
At the same time, society's excessive superstition about college diplomas has exacerbated the problem. Many employers still favor graduates from top universities, such as schools on the 985 and 211 programs, which creates another kind of inequality in the job market. Graduates of the average university are often marginalized, even if they possess the same or even better abilities.
In the 2010s, with the transformation of the economy and the rapid development of technology, the demand for talent in the job market is also changing. Companies are more interested in skills and innovation than just academic background. This change puts those who only have a diploma and no strength at a further disadvantage.
Faced with this situation, some universities have begun to try to reform. They try to adapt their curriculum to the rapidly changing job market by enhancing their students' practical skills. But reform doesn't happen overnight and takes time to bear fruit, and in the process, anxiety and discontent continue to heat up among many students and families.
As the situation evolved, cracks began to appear in society's perception of higher education. Questions are beginning to be raised about the need to continue to expand higher education and whether universities can maintain their mission of producing high-quality talent. These questions are constantly being raised, triggering extensive social discussion and reflection.
At the same time, student dissatisfaction is accumulating. Many graduates feel that they have been deceived by reality – they have put in the time, money and effort, only to end up with a diploma that is not enough to guarantee employment. This feeling spreads among students, leading many to explore alternative career paths, such as entrepreneurship or self-taught.
This rupture between education and employment not only affects the future of students, but also poses a threat to the stability of society. Frustrated family expectations and uncertain future for students have combined to create a growing sense of discontent in society.
Faced with this set of challenges, governments and the education sector are looking for solutions. They realized that simply increasing the number of universities and the size of their student body would no longer solve the problem. The higher education system must be fundamentally reformed to focus on quality over quantity, while strengthening linkages with industry to ensure that educational content is up-to-date and meets the real needs of the market.
This series of challenges and changes is reshaping China's higher education landscape. While this is a challenging path, it is also a necessary path to a more equitable and efficient education system. In this process, everyone is a participant and a witness. This contest about the future, dreams and reality is far from over, and its development and results deserve everyone's continued attention.