Though an increasing number of students have chosen to study abroad and fewer applicants are engaged in the annual exam, its charm remains undiminished among the majority of the population, as excellent educational resources are sparsely distributed in China, and gaokao acts as a relatively fair channel, offering a rare opportunity for the people from a lower socio-economic background the opportunity to reach higher.
But people are increasingly finding the exam, which began in 1952, is not solely about the academic performance of the students. It means more to the Chinese society. Every year, everyone in China is mobilized to prepare for the “creation of a quiet and healthy environment for the students”, with construction sites in urban areas halted, police patrolling in the street for any misbehaver that may pose threats to the exam, hospitals ready to help over strung or fainting students and free taxi rides for the students.
A recent incident related to gaokao caused much buzz on the social media, leaving the society questioning the struggle between the stricture of the exam and the need to account for human nature.
On June 8, a Shanghai student arrived two minutes late for the exam due to a broken bicycle. His mother kneeled down and prayed for the examiners to allow her son in, but was met with a blunt refusal. The boy then attempted to break in, but was stopped by the school security.
Some people argue that special cases like this should be handled in a more humanizing way, allowing the boy in to take the exam that may decide his future life. But others hold that the rules are designed for all, and no one should be above them, which otherwise may set a dangerous precedent for future rule-bending cases.
“The Chinese education system is to blame for its redundant attention to gaokao. The school was right as it clung to the rules. If it allowed the boy in, what about those who came late for 5 minutes, 10 minutes or even 30 minutes?” Weibo user 水天逆卷lpf wrote.
In another case, an 18-year-old Anhui student, who boarded at her school, was kept in the dark about a family tragedy until after she sat the exam. Both her parents died two months before the exam, but her other family members and the school agreed it would be better to lie about this until the stress of the exam was over.
The news came as a shock to the public and some critics say that the gao kao has, to some extent, dehumanized the entire society, with a crazy preoccupation on scores overpowering other concerns of the human nature and family bonds.
“Has the humanity been eaten away by this bankrupt system and the fickle society?! Humanity should be at the center of any education system. Without humanity, how can we talk about the future!” user 我是寒寒喜欢暖暖 wrote.
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