Abstract

The 2022 Vocational Education Law shifted the policy framework from “tracking between general and vocational education” toward their “coordinated development.” This shift has triggered public misinterpretations that tracking has been abolished, reflecting deep-seated societal anxieties about educational stratification and the persistent stigma associated with vocational education. Drawing on theories of social stratification, educational ecosystems, and institutional change, this paper traces the policy’s evolution from a model of “rigid tracking” to one aspiring toward “collaborative symbiosis.” It examines the multidimensional dilemmas impeding this transition across socio-cultural, institutional, resourcing, and integrative dimensions. In response, the study proposes a comprehensive restructuring spanning four interconnected domains: conceptual, institutional, resource-based, and integrative. Recommended strategies include refining policy narratives, establishing flexible tracking mechanisms, implementing differentiated funding models, and promoting mutual recognition of courses and credits. These measures are designed to dismantle structural barriers, foster a symbiotic educational ecosystem, and advance the high-quality development of both general and vocational
education.

Keywords: Coordinated development of general and vocational education, Policy transition, Educational equity, Institutional innovation, Resource optimization