Summary
Highlights
The Gaokao, China's college entrance exam, is portrayed as the single most important event determining a Chinese person's fate. It sorts students exclusively by scores into universities or the workforce, without considering recommendations, extracurriculars, or family background. Failure to achieve a high score is widely believed to lead to a life of hardship and disappointment.
Students at schools like those in Henue City endure highly regimented and grueling schedules. This includes waking before dawn for mandatory morning runs, studying in harsh weather, and participating in high-intensity morning reading sessions. Even basic activities like eating and transitioning between classes are rushed to maximize study time, with strict rules and constant pressure.
The "Henoy model" describes a particularly severe education system, often likened to a prison, designed to push students to their limits for the Gaokao. Schools enforce strict schedules, including late nights and early mornings, with little room for personal comfort or individuality. Despite the intense pressure, students find small ways to express themselves through 'rebellion' in the form of notes and drawings.
The Gaokao demands immense sacrifices from students, parents, and teachers. Parents often quit jobs to support their children, and tutoring expenses are exorbitant. The pressure is so extreme that it can lead to emotional breakdowns and even impact family relationships, with some couples delaying divorce until after the exam. Examples are given of the extreme measures taken, including hiding a parent's death from a student to avoid affecting their performance.
The Gaokao system is not uniform, with significant advantages given to students in Beijing. Beijing students face lower admission cutoffs for top universities and have access to easier exam questions. Top institutions like Tsinghua and Peking University allocate disproportionately more spots to Beijing students, leading to a stark disparity in opportunities compared to other provinces. This systemic privilege is a point of contention and reflects deeper societal inequalities.
Out of millions of Gaokao registrants, a significant portion will not get into college. These students face limited options, including repeating the exam, attending less reputable institutions, or entering a notoriously brutal job market. Even a master's degree offers little guarantee of employment, exacerbating the challenges for young people and creating widespread exhaustion across Chinese society, pointing to a systemic problem.