Journal of Education and Psychology

Abstract

This study analyzes whether the free entrance to senior vocational schools can be accepted by the junior high schools and senior vocational schools. A questionnaire was sent to: (a) registrars of both junior high schools and senior vocational schools, (b) department directors of senior vocational schools, (c) teachers and students’ parents of junior high schools. The returned valid samples totaled 3277. The Logit model was used to analyze the data. Results showed that more than 70% of respondents support the concepts and rules of free entrance to vocational schools. The majority of respondents agree with the following ideas: (a) it can facilitate all the junior high school graduates to have a chance to receive skill training, if they want, so that their right of quality of life can be ensured, (b) the traditional joint entrance examination for entrance to senior high schools as well as to vocational schools has demonstrated its negative side effects, such as the number of students who suffer from myopia is proportional to the number of students who are preparing the joint entrance examination. Therefore the system of joint entrance examination has to be changed, (c) the criterion for allocation to vocational school is based mainly on the scores of all subjects of 17 term examinations in the junior high school, but some of which will be standardized based on the mean and standard deviation of that subject of each class, some of which are based on that of all year-classes in each school, and some of which are based on that of each allocation area. This mechanism can eliminate the discrimination which divided students into high achievement classes and low ones, as well as high achievement star schools and low ones, (d) nowadays the graduates of vocational schools have more chances to be admitted to junior colleges and institutes of technology, and after the system of vocational license is institutionalized in Taiwan, the vocational school graduates would be able to stand upon their qualifications instead of being disrespected. This study suggests that by the allocation procedure, all the applicants should be ranked according to their scores earned during the junior high school, then divided into groups of 100. Applicants in the group with a higher score will have priority to choose their preferred department of vocational school. If two applicants choose the same department and there is only one vacancy then the one with the higher score will have priority. In conclusion, the measurement of free entrance to senior vocational school can be a pluralistic way of entrance to senior vocational schools.

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