I take issue with the interview in the last video with Vanessa Fong where she calls the exam a level playing field. Not only are the required university entrance scores different for students from poorer provinces, meaning a student from poor Henan needs a higher score than someone from Beijing to get in to a top school, but by the time students take the exam 1000’s of dollars will have already been spent in preparation by families who can afford it.
In Shanghai the intense competition begins at primary school with students sitting exams to get into schools with the best ratings. Parents will start by sending their children to private kindergartens, and continue private classes all throughout grade school looking for any advantage over others. Poor families do not have these same options, and the deck is as stacked against them is China as it is anywhere else.
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China Prep For University
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Interesting videos, and good post.
I take issue with the interview in the last video with Vanessa Fong where she calls the exam a level playing field. Not only are the required university entrance scores different for students from poorer provinces, meaning a student from poor Henan needs a higher score than someone from Beijing to get in to a top school, but by the time students take the exam 1000’s of dollars will have already been spent in preparation by families who can afford it.
In Shanghai the intense competition begins at primary school with students sitting exams to get into schools with the best ratings. Parents will start by sending their children to private kindergartens, and continue private classes all throughout grade school looking for any advantage over others. Poor families do not have these same options, and the deck is as stacked against them is China as it is anywhere else.