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China to separate testing and college recruiting systems
高考改革招考分離 打破一考定終身
China recently announced string of economic and social reforms and reforming China's national college entrance exam, known as the "Gaokao", which has always been an issue of hot debate. An increasing number of Chinese students have been avoiding the Gaokao altogether, taking alternative routes into higher education, with many looking abroad. And within China itself, many institutions offer an alternative approach.
A bridge to a better education with a more flexible testing system.
Xu Jing works as a teacher in the New Oriental School, which has centers in major cities across the country.
She helps students work towards a Scholastic Assessment Test, or SAT.
It’s a standard exam for most college admissions in the US. And it’s attracting more and more Chinese students.
“The SAT system is flexible in that students can choose which subjects they like. Colleges can find out what students are interested in. More importantly, the testing system gives students outside the US six chances per year to sit the SAT exams.
That helps release a lot of exam anxiety.” Xu said.
These students are looking forward to better education abroad. The pressure is on The SAT exam requires good English language skills.
But the exam is designed to bring out the best in all who takes it.
“Students can present what they think is their best performance of the six exams, to whichever schools they want to apply to. They can even piece together their best subject results for evaluation.” Xu said.
But increasing the flexibility of college admission seems incompatible with China’s current system.
In China, most students study hard throughout the year to score high on the Gaokao, China’s standardized annual college entrance exam.
In China, your Gaokao score is very likely to determine your future.
But many say the system is too focused on the once-a-year exam, something that only increases the pressure.
If you fail, you can only wait and prepare for another year.
Reporter: “…which is why a growing number of Chinese students are coming to schools like New Orient to prepare for the SAT.
Compared to the Gaokao, the American testing system offers students more opportunities to enter universities. That has many people in China suggesting it is time to reform for the Gaokao system.”
Last week, the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee decided to make some changes to the college examination system.
Recruitment procedures are expected to be separated from the testing system.
Social organizations will be entrusted to carry out educational evaluations, while more autonomy will be given to schools in enrolment procedures.
More importantly, there will be a wider variety of college admission exams.
Wu Ni from the National Institute of Education Science says the current Gaokao system has made the Chinese education system too exam-focused.
“More autonomy for schools will make it possible for schools to find the best students, based on the schools’ development strategies. At the same time, students will be able to choose schools and majors based on their interests, rather than letting the scores decide which post-secondary schools they can go to. It’s something that can’t be realized under the current testing and recruiting system.” Wu said.
Wu says that supporting the reforms, which include improving talent nurturing, and secondary and high-school vocational schemes, are very important.
But the real key is for education authorities to give schools, students and social groups more autonomy, and free up their decision making.
