Abstract: Vocational education has attracted much attention because it directly faces the labor market and the economic development of a society.It is an “important part of the national education system and human resource development”.The high-quality development level of vocational education determines the extent of its own function and the height of its value.In the new era of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way,accurately grasping the modern nature of modern vocational education is embodied in the following aspects:the integration and unity of freedom and rationality,the scientific understanding of the value rationality and instrumental rationality of vocational education,respecting the pursuit of humanistic value of modern vocational education,adhering to the educating qualities of vocational education,following the appropriate decision-making orientation of instrumental rationality,and then achieving the organic unity of vocational education instrumental rationality and value rationality.This is conducive to actively promoting the reform and development of modern vocational education,and to giving full play to the unique type role of vocational education.

Key words: vocational education, modern attribute, functional representation