Education system in search of reforms

The college entrance exam (or gaokao) has put "super high schools" in the spotlight. And by portraying some shocking scenes from such schools, the popular documentary film A Bite of China has sparked a debate on special high schools such as Lu'an Maotanchang School in Anhui province.

Lu'an Maotanchang High School is known for preparing students for the gaokao, success in which is seen as a ticket to prestigious universities and high-paying jobs. Last year, 22.3 percent of the students of this school secured enough marks in the gaokao to enter key universities, and 82.3 percent cleared the all-important exam. The school has been known as the "biggest college entrance exam factory in Asia" because its only goal is to ensure that its students excel in the gaokao.

The majority of the huge Maotanchang High School students are those preparing to take the gaokao a second time after having failed to clear it in their first attempt or simply to secure better marks to enter a better university.

The media also talk about another kind of "super high school": top middle schools that have excellent students and education resources in a region. These massive middle schools, which mainly focus on the gaokao, and the so-called super high schools are the byproducts of the current education system in which the college entrance exam plays the most vital role.

Every year, a huge number of senior high school graduates sit for the gaokao for a second time because of the current admission policy for institutions of higher learning. Colleges in China enroll students essentially on the basis of their scores in the gaokao. According to the education policy, a student can be admitted by only one college. Since many students are unhappy with the college they are admitted to or the majors they are offered (or fail to clear the gaokao), their families compel or persuade them to take the exam a second time.

The problem is that, in some areas students who cannot get admitted to a key university are regarded as failures despite having cleared the gaokao. Since key universities can accommodate only 8.5 percent of the successful gaokao candidates, schools like the Maotanchang High School are able to attract more than 8,000 high school graduates to give the college entrance exam a second try.