Chinese graduates have become "more rational" in choosing
between postgraduate study and immediate employment, according to
the Ministry of Education (MOE).
In an apparent endorsement of employment over further education
an MOE spokesman said that this year Chinese students had "clearer
mind" regarding their career development route.
"The entrants for this year's postgraduate exam have not risen
as sharply as in previous years. The number of examinees is equal
to that of last year," said the spokesman.
China's annual national postgraduate qualification exam started
on Saturday. Nearly 1.3 million applied to sit the two-day exam.
This is just 7,000 more than last year and 714,000 of them are
students from colleges and universities. Last year's figure was up
9 percent over 2005.
The spokesman said it had previously been taken for granted that
postgraduate students had brighter employment prospects. "This
hasn't proved to be the case and a large number of undergraduates
still choose postgraduate study to delay entering into fierce
competition for jobs," he said.
Universities had strengthened personal development counseling
and employment guidance in recent years, he added, which asked
students to "soberly consider" their development path and
encouraged them to learn more skills in the workplace before
choosing further education.
"One can understand what he or she really needs to learn after
practical work experience," the spokesman said.
The advice is easier said than followed. The number of college
graduates this year will be close to 5 million and there simply
aren't enough jobs to go round. This has led to more graduates
furthering their studies to try and gain a competitive advantage as
the central government continues to champion innovation.
(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2007)