Ideal education system offers options

Some media reports say a youth returned to China after graduating from a university abroad and decided to receive technical training in Qingdao Technical College, East China's Shandong province, so that he could get a good job. The youth's decision has sparked a debate, with some people saying it proves studying abroad is worth less while others claim the quality of education students receive in China is better than that provided overseas.

The youth's decision, however, doesn't mean he failed to acquire knowledge abroad or regrets studying overseas. Before jumping to conclusions, we must understand the relationship between academic education and vocational education, and help students make informed academic choices.

Undergraduate students in overseas universities generally receive academic education, which in many cases may be non-vocational and non-career-oriented. Some students decide to complete post-graduate studies abroad after graduating from a college to give full play to their academic potential. But it is also normal for students to enroll in a vocational college after completing their undergraduate studies in a university.