Gaokao Exam: too Much for Students to Handle?

So much of human energy is spent anxiously deliberating on the future. Our own futures, in addition to being in the forefront of our own thought, were once and may still be the constant worry of our parents, and theirs before us. In China, your entire future rides on one moment, one test, the

gaokao, discussed by the article “China’s Cram Schools” in Upfront. The test, taken by high school seniors in June every year, determines your entrance into China’s best colleges. For most, this means a life outside of factories and fields. Maotanchang, one of China’s many “cramming schools” guides with military precision as students study stressfully for the high-stakes test. While many would believe this test to be a fair and favorable way to assess the readiness of students for college, the test is only a harmful, cruel way to strain the minds of China’s high schoolers.  

The gaokao is immensely stressful and unfair for the millions of students taking it. One way in which the exam is pernicious for the students is the enormous strain it puts on the teenagers mental and physical health. In the article “China’s Cram Schools”, the author writes that students walk into class at “6:20 in the morning and returning to his (the students) room only after the end of his last class at 10:50 at night.”  That means the students of Maotanchang school are studying for over 16 hours, leaving only seven and a half hours for sleeping, eating, and homework. The average adolescent,  according to nationwidechildrens.org, needs nine to nine and a half hours of sleep a night. Therefore, students cramming for the gaokao would not get enough rest even if they spent their entire time outside of school sleeping. That lack of sleep can lead to various health issues, including, but not limited to, complications with cognitive ability, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and depression. The start and end times of schools that specialize in studying non-stop for the gaokao illustrates the disastrous impacts on students health this test has. Mental health is another element of Chinese students well being that is being infringed upon by the exam. Upfront addresses this matter by relating that “ teenage suicide rates tend to rise as the gaokao nears.” It’s no wonder that the unbelievable pressure of the gaokao can be overwhelming, so overwhelming that many students take their own lives. Many students may feel that they will not pass the test and therefore will be condemned to a life of hard labor, or that they just can’t bear another day of cramming. The fact that the lives of teenagers are being stolen by this test is an incredibly significant example of how detrimental this exam truly is.

Many would argue that reform would result in China’s young people not attaining the scores that universities require of them. After the Chinese government began to push for a reduction in student workload and consideration by the colleges of factors other than the gaokao, many parents resisted the changes. As illustrated by Upfront, parents “fear that easing the pressure could hurt their children’s exam results and jeopardize their futures.” However, in addition to the drastic health effects, many students are already not given equal opportunity in preparation for the exam. The author of Upfront writes “rural students are at a severe disadvantage. Villages… have poor schools and untrained teachers.” While some can afford the costly tuition to schools like Maotanchang, those students who can’t are thrown under the bus when it comes to preparing for the gaokao. Those parents that are most vocally against test reform are not taking into account those who will be at a disadvantage should the test remain in it’s position of importance. Adding on to the plethora of reasons to support reform, parents who are concerned about the effect reform may have on their children’s test scores have misplaced their anxiety. Firstly, if the government decides to pull back on rigorous test prep, students will have more time to relax, getting more sleep and boosting cognitive performance and perhaps even raising gaokao scores. Additionally, if the reforms are put in effect, then the gaokao will not be the only factor determining admission to university. Therefore, even if test scores drop, the decrease will not hold as much weight as it would have previously.

The expect teenagers to cram for a test like the gaokao is unethical. While the schooling young people are compelled to take in America can often seem like an overwhelming burden, they are surely no match for what Chinese students are subjected to. The overpowering pressure and stress students are compelled to accept as part of daily school life preparing for the gaokao is unlike any most American students have ever experienced. It is when education mutates from being supportive to infringing on the health and well being of the students that it is clear that something is deeply wrong.