DIFFERENT EXAM
Exam rules now are meticulous, strict and standard.
An educator surnamed Zhang of the high school affiliated to Beijing's Tsinghua University says there are 30 sets of tables and chairs in each exam room. Invigilators, or monitors, must stand on each side of the classroom and must answer students' questions loudly. They must also accompany those who go to the washroom.
Zhang recalled himself sitting in the front row when he took the exam 30 year ago. The tables and chairs were worn and an invigilator carelessly sat beside him.
"A student even carelessly took the papers away from the exam room because he was too nervous," he said.
After about a decade of standstill, teachers made students do exercises according to the CEE paper before the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). As for the politics exam, they prepared for it in line with the political situation at the time.
Zhang says their exam preparation materials became utterly useless after they entered university in 1978 when the country started its reform and opening up; China's central policy greatly changed and encouraged people to emancipate their mind.
He listened to his father's suggestion and chose to study chemistry. He soon found he preferred physics after he had started university.
Zhang's son has his own ideas. He chose Korean language studies as his major last year when he applied for colleges, primarily out of his own interest in Korean culture. The proud father fully respected his son's choice.
"The current society needs a variety of talents. Majors such as information technology, law, economics and foreign languages enjoy the most popularity as the nation's economic and social development needs them," he said.
The daughter of Liu Fang, a maths teacher from Hebei Province, chose veterinary medicine as her major in 2005, which went against her father's wish. "I hoped my daughter could study a more comprehensive major but I know she loves animals so I respect her choice," said Liu.
The academic recalled that 30 years ago when he attended the exam as a 17-year-old, his fellow exam-takers and himself all used left hands to wipe sweat on forehead and rights hands to hold pens.
"Now, air-conditioners, medical and traffic police services are all available for students. We even could not imagine that in our era," he said.
TAKE IT AS EXPERIENCE
Duan Yafei, an English teacher at Beijing Shiyi School, says that in recent years the society no longer takes the exam as the only channel for a child's future development. With more and more families able to afford overseas education, a large number of students choose to study overseas after graduating from high school.
Meanwhile, when China's universities enrol students, there are an increasing number of special enrolment for high school graduates who are especially good at a certain subjects such as literature, maths or sports.
Although the CEE is still a major means of personnel selection for higher education after 30 years of development, the society has gradually adjusted its standard.
"The CEE needs reform, but it has to be gradual. There is no Panacea," says Zhang of the Tsinghua high school, adding that while debates over the exam continue, more people believe it is the only open, fair and just way of talent selection.
Duan says the exam has became fairer as one exam paper is to be marked and reviewed by a group of teachers on an online scoring system so as to ensure objectiveness in the paper marking.
Although the CEE did not take engineer Ji anywhere, he attributes his ensuing success to the exam experience. "After the exam, it's going to be a new start," Ji told his daughter.
