Is vocational education a good alternative to low-performing students in China

This paper focuses on upper secondary technical and vocational education (TVE), which accounts for 41 % of total enrollment at upper secondary schools in China. Using a nationally representative sample and a propensity score matching research design, this study has found large relative private return to TVE compared with general academic high schools, specifically for academically low-performing students, a group that is particularly vulnerable and in need of attention from policymakers. The difference in private returns is most profound for females. In light of the lower cost of attendance, these results can offer additional support, at least qualitatively to other countries that are contemplating the use of TVE as a viable and sometimes better alternative to academic education for select students.