Test-Oriented Education in China And How Can We Relieve Students From It

The Matriculation Exam Three days Three days One number One number= The university you attend The university you attend Your major Your major

Impact on students 75% students spend over 14 hours a day on school work in senior year 75% students spend over 14 hours a day on school work in senior year 42.4% parents ask their children to attend part-time classes in Summer vacation 42.4% parents ask their children to attend part-time classes in Summer vacation Limited extracurricular activities Limited extracurricular activities 70% students spend less than 3 hours on sports per week 70% students spend less than 3 hours on sports per week

Way of Learning Math and sciences: mechanical repetition Math and sciences: mechanical repetition Foreign language: grammar and wordlist Foreign language: grammar and wordlist Chinese: framework of essay Chinese: framework of essay Other humanities: memorizing facts Other humanities: memorizing facts

Highly-competitive education and higher standards has some merits Highly-competitive education and higher standards has some meritsbut Cram-education: easy to forget Cram-education: easy to forget Students passive and less creative Students passive and less creative Not balanced, not well-rounded Not balanced, not well-rounded

Recent Reforms Design exams that can’t not be prepared for through cramming Design exams that can’t not be prepared for through cramming “Burden Relieving”: banning certain part- time courses, put limit on weight of schoolbags, etc “Burden Relieving”: banning certain part- time courses, put limit on weight of schoolbags, etc

What can we do (I): values Society should value overall ability rather than diploma Society should value overall ability rather than diploma

Better system elsewhere? Content of SAT: no better Content of SAT: no betterbut Not much test craze Not much test craze Reason: admission system Reason: admission system

Reality in China Too many students, too few universities Too many students, too few universities

What can we do II: mechanism Admission system aim at overall quality– enhanced law and regulation needed Admission system aim at overall quality– enhanced law and regulation needed More capital and resources put into education More capital and resources put into education

A Long Way to Go Reform in people’s values Reform in people’s values Reform in system and mechanism Reform in system and mechanism