As the first vocational college in Anhui to set up a funeral major, the teachers of this college are most worried about the public's acceptance of this major——
["Breaking the Circle" Password of Vocational School's Minority Major ②] How does the funeral major break the secular prejudice?
Our reporter Chen Huatangshu
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With the implementation of a series of funeral reforms and policies to benefit the people, the demand for professional and skilled personnel in the funeral industry is on the rise. At present, there are only 5 higher vocational colleges and 3 secondary vocational colleges in the country to train professional talents.
The establishment of funeral and interment majors in the school can supplement the professional talents with technical and planning skills for the industry, and can also promote the standardization and service-oriented development of the industry.
Young people who choose this major are breaking the secular prejudice, and they expect that this industry can be squared up and treated like other ordinary occupations.
On June 10, Anhui City Management Vocational College held a 2020-level student job internship double-selection meeting.
Among the crowd, there was a special team of students. They were solemnly dressed in black suits, white shirts, and blue ties.
This is the school's modern funeral technology and management students, most of them are post-00s.
Some people may be puzzled as to how they can bear the various discussions that accompany this choice behind their choice of this major.
For these young people, their future will be an ordinary and sacred profession, and they want to make the farewell of life more decent with their own hands.
Let farewell be beautiful, let life end with dignity
"Use foundation first, and the primer should be even. At the same time, pay attention to the difference between women's eyebrows and men's eyebrows. Don't choose too exaggerated colors for eye shadows." In the life culture training room of Anhui City Management Vocational College, modern funeral technology and management professional teacher Xu Shanshan reminds from time to time when guiding students to practice makeup techniques: "We are dealing with the deceased, and the techniques must be gentle."
"Our courses are very professional and the learning content is also very extensive." Liu Hao, a 2019 student, felt, "It is very modern, different from the traditional funeral in the impression."
"As a student majoring in funerals, I am versatile, and can be both literary and martial. Wen Neng can arrange flowers, write elegiac couplets, and preside over ceremonies to make farewells beautiful; Wu Neng can operate cremation machines, repair refrigerators, and perform cosmetic surgery for the deceased. A dignified curtain call for life." Guo Haiyan, the person in charge of the major, introduced that the school has set up a curriculum system covering four aspects: funeral services, cemetery management, body embalming and cosmetic surgery, and body cremation according to professional standards and industry needs.
In the later stage, students also need to determine the employment direction through school-enterprise cooperation, post-job internship, etc.
"According to the dosage of 5-8ml/cubic meter, use 2% peracetic acid solution to spray in a directionless way" "Marble is carbonate stone, which has high compressive strength and is easy to erode, so it is not used for outdoor tombstones"... 2020 student Wang Xiang In addition to mastering solid theoretical knowledge, there are a lot of homework to complete.
Sometimes it is to pinch a nose or ear with putty; sometimes it is to write an obituary or to plan a funeral for a deceased celebrity; Roles such as emcee, family members and even the deceased...
Of course, facing death is a compulsory course for students of this major.
Every year during the Qingming Festival and the Winter Solstice, the school organizes students to go to funeral homes and cemeteries for cognitive practice.
When Liu Hao saw the body for the first time, he found that he was not afraid, which strengthened his confidence in the profession.
Wang Xiang found a sense of substitution when guiding her family, which also made her deeply feel the sanctity of this profession.
Cultivate technical and planning professionals
As the first higher vocational college in Anhui and the fifth in the country to set up a funeral major, at the beginning of the establishment of the major, the teachers of Anhui City Vocational Management College were very worried about the public's acceptance of the major, that is, not being able to recruit students.
However, the final admissions situation exceeded expectations.
In the first enrollment in 2019, 38 new students were recruited, which is much higher than the enrollment plan of 26 students.
After that, the number of applicants began to skyrocket, with more than 100 students enrolled in both 2020 and 2021.
"The concept of children today is different from before. Although it is not ruled out that some people blindly choose the so-called high income, most students have a high sense of professional and professional identity." Liu Jin, dean of Anhui Urban Vocational Management College, said that in view of the special professional The school will pre-set a flexible space. They will first conduct interviews and comprehensive evaluations for students who apply for the major. If they are not suitable, they can apply for a major change.
"Except for the students who have advanced to the university, they are basically intern in the funeral industry, and some have signed contracts with the internship unit in advance."
The first student Liu Hao is about to graduate and is concentrating on preparing for the funeral home exam.
According to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, as of the end of 2020, there were 4,201 funeral service institutions nationwide, with an annual cremation of more than 5 million.
With the implementation of a series of funeral reforms and policies to benefit the people, the demand for professional and skilled personnel in the funeral industry is on the rise. At present, there are only 5 higher vocational colleges and 3 secondary vocational colleges in the country to train professional talents.
The human resources specialist of Enron Life Etiquette Company, who participated in the internship double election meeting, told reporters that in the past, they were recruiting for the society, or inheriting the father's business.
Nowadays, the school offers funeral and interment majors, which can supplement the industry with technical and planning professionals, and can also promote the standardization and service-oriented development of the industry.
Guo Haiyan often tells students that whether they choose a technical direction or a service direction, they may start with a lot of basic work and accept the mundane aspects of a career.
"Really settling down in a field comes from the inner recognition and acceptance of it, as well as the sense of gain and value this profession brings me."
To face up to this profession, we need life education courses in the whole society
"Death is a door, passing away is not the end, but transcendence, moving towards the next journey." In the movie "The Undertaker", the cremation master's words gave the male protagonist a new understanding of life and death.
In the school, the first lesson for funeral students is the life education of "from farewell to thanks".
The education and perception of life and humanism also run through the professional setting and talent training, and through the usual meticulous observation of the counselors and professional teachers, the students' psychological dynamics can be grasped in real time.
"Some students feel that their work is based on the passing of life, and they feel sad, so they should enlighten them: What can you do for the passing of life if you can't change the laws of nature?" Guo Haiyan said.
Although compared with the past, the whole funeral industry has made great progress and people's cognition has also improved, but the stereotypes of the secular still exist.
"At first, my family did not agree with my choice of funeral major. It was quite taboo. In the end, they respected my choice, but seldom talked about this topic." Liu Hao said that with the deepening of his studies, his family's views gradually changed.
Last year, he won the first prize in the funeral competition of the 11th National Vocational College Civil Affairs Vocational Skills Competition, and his family was very happy for him.
"How do girls choose this major, aren't they afraid?" Wang Xiang also encountered the confusion of those around him.
In her opinion, many parents are more afraid of their children being discriminated against, "because they don't understand, there will be misunderstandings."
Liu Hao remembered that when he was an intern at the funeral home, he met an old grandmother who was saying goodbye to his wife. He and his partners patiently supported him and helped him pour water and send tissues. The service is very attentive.”
Liu Hao feels that as long as he serves sincerely, he will receive positive feedback, which will also change the society's understanding of the funeral industry.
Zhang Ling, deputy dean of the School of Health and Elderly Care of Anhui City Vocational Management College, said that the whole society still has a lot of work to do in eliminating the stereotyped prejudice and social discrimination against funeral work in the world.
Funeral education units and management service agencies should take responsibility, provide public services to the public, actively carry out activities to spread the concept of life and culture, and choose appropriate opportunities to introduce the funeral and funeral policies, service procedures, and "love the people for the people" to the public. A service concept that transforms public prejudice and stereotypes about the funeral industry.
Liu Hao hopes that this industry can be taken seriously and treated like other ordinary occupations.
He has his own thoughts on the proposition of life and death: serving the deceased is actually comforting the living.
The farewell in life should not only be sad and painful, but should make the farewell beautiful.