Have you ever asked high school students about their goals? There is no doubt that for most Chinese high school students, “get good scores in Gaokao” is the most common answer. In China, the aim of most high school students is to get ideal grades in Gaokao. Gaokao is also called College Entrance Examination, which is a key examination for Chinese students. It is a competitive examination, which will determine the future of most students (Kirkpatrick and Zang 39). In order to pass or get higher grades in Gaokao, students have to pay attention on studying from primary school to high middle school, memorizing more knowledge rather understanding it, because schools just concern about the results of examinations, especially Gaokao. Thus, students
…show more content…
China is a country with a large population, as well as the large number of students. However, the limitation of educational resources causes the fierce competition of entrancing universities. In 2015, there were totally 9,420,000 high school students attended Gaokao, but only 74.3% of the whole examiners had opportunities to access higher education (“Statistical Communique on the Development of Education in China”). That means, the rest examiners need to try to take exams again or give up the opportunity of accessing higher education. The fierce competition of entering universities forces students to gain more knowledge in limited time. Therefore, for Chinese students, in order to getting higher marks, they are demanded to memorize significant information from text books for the purpose of passing tests. In other words, learning becomes utilitarian for passing exams, because the students who getting high scores can have opportunities to attend elite …show more content…
For Chinese students, scores become “the only evaluating criteria” to define their worth (Kirkpatrick and Zang 39). Therefore, the students who get high scores will be rewarded, on the contrary, getting mediocre or low scores will be punished. Because in the view of most Chinese parents, teachers and students, entering universities is the only way to be succeed. If some students failed Gaokao, they would consider themselves as losers, to deny themselves and their future. Thus, students will feel anxious in such a high-pressure studying atmosphere. In 2013, there were 79 suicides related to elementary and high school students, caused by “homework burdens and poor test scores” (Roberts “China Exam System Drives Students Suicides”). Furthermore, based on the result of the survey of Kirkpatrick and Zang, under the exam-oriented education, there is a lot of “weary” students with “inadequate psychological development, repressed personality and self-hatred, and a general lack in the development of other abilities” (40). To sum up, the exam-oriented education not only will cut creativity of students down and cultivate their reliance on text books and notes, but also will affect their mental health
China is a country with a large population, as well as the large number of students. However, the limitation of educational resources causes the fierce competition of entrancing universities. In 2015, there were totally 9,420,000 high school students attended Gaokao, but only 74.3% of the whole examiners had opportunities to access higher education (“Statistical Communique on the Development of Education in China”). That means, the rest examiners need to try to take exams again or give up the opportunity of accessing higher education. The fierce competition of entering universities forces students to gain more knowledge in limited time. Therefore, for Chinese students, in order to getting higher marks, they are demanded to memorize significant information from text books for the purpose of passing tests. In other words, learning becomes utilitarian for passing exams, because the students who getting high scores can have opportunities to attend elite …show more content…
For Chinese students, scores become “the only evaluating criteria” to define their worth (Kirkpatrick and Zang 39). Therefore, the students who get high scores will be rewarded, on the contrary, getting mediocre or low scores will be punished. Because in the view of most Chinese parents, teachers and students, entering universities is the only way to be succeed. If some students failed Gaokao, they would consider themselves as losers, to deny themselves and their future. Thus, students will feel anxious in such a high-pressure studying atmosphere. In 2013, there were 79 suicides related to elementary and high school students, caused by “homework burdens and poor test scores” (Roberts “China Exam System Drives Students Suicides”). Furthermore, based on the result of the survey of Kirkpatrick and Zang, under the exam-oriented education, there is a lot of “weary” students with “inadequate psychological development, repressed personality and self-hatred, and a general lack in the development of other abilities” (40). To sum up, the exam-oriented education not only will cut creativity of students down and cultivate their reliance on text books and notes, but also will affect their mental health