離婚考卷(líhūn kǎojuàn): Divorce exam papers

In Donghai county, East China's Jiangsu province, couples reportedly have to take an exam if they decide to divorce. If either party gets 60 points out of the total 100, it is considered they may still "possibly love each other" and are persuaded to rethink their decision.

The practice aroused fierce discussions online, with some criticizing the local government for interfering in people's lives. In response, the local authority said the exam is not mandatory and their staff will only "persuade" the couples with high points to reconsider their decision.

However, it remains in doubt whether the practice can be truly effective. According to reports, the exam is about some facts, such as asking the man the date of his wife's birthday. Of the first couple that took the exam, the man got zero and the female got 100. That means the man is already so determined to divorce that no persuasion or exam can stop him.

Besides, as some netizens say, the exam implies that outdated value that marriage is necessarily better than divorce. Actually, in modern society, everyone has the freedom to decide whether to marry, and to divorce if the marriage breaks down, and no one should have the power to intervene. Further, those who choose to divorce should not be discriminated against.