Millions of Chinese students sit for gruelling ‘gaokao’

BEIJING: Hundreds of young Chinese students clutching pens and their IDs shuffled into a testing center in blue-skied Beijing on Sunday, swarmed by parents, joining millions sitting for the national high-stakes university entrance exam._x000D_
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Around 12.9 million students nationwide registered for this year’s “gaokao,” according to the Ministry of Education, which for most is the sole determining factor in admission to a Chinese university._x000D_
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The multi-day exam, which began Sunday, drills test-takers on subjects including Chinese, mathematics, English, science and the humanities — with the tallied scores to be released later this month._x000D_
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“It’s my first time, so I’m a bit anxious,” said student Zhang Xinnan moments before entering the exam hall._x000D_
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The spectacled Beijinger admitted he was nervous for the essay portion of the Chinese test, as he said he thought the prompts had become harder to respond to._x000D_
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But, wearing his school uniform, the 18-year-old told AFP that despite the jitters he thought he would do well, having spent the last year drilling practice questions._x000D_
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“The things we needed to master have been mastered,” said Zhang, who hopes to work with new energy vehicles._x000D_
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“Just go in with self-confidence; you’ll be solid.”_x000D_
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Some mothers and fathers clustered outside the exam halls dressed in red, a symbol of good fortune in Chinese culture._x000D_
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Dozens of police and security guards milled about as parents stood beside the line of students waiting to enter the exam hall, hoping to film their children walking inside._x000D_
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Shifting attitudes_x000D_
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High-level education has expanded rapidly in China in recent decades as an economic boom pushed up living standards — as well as parental expectations for their children’s careers._x000D_
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Yet the job market that fresh graduates enter is no longer as rosy as it once was, with high youth unemployment a significant concern._x000D_
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Roughly one in six Chinese between the ages of 16 and 24, excluding students, are jobless, according to official data._x000D_
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Attitudes toward the test are changing, with students and parents more and more unwilling to trade physical and mental health for high test scores._x000D_
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“I’m pretty free range,” said mother Deng Ju, standing across from the exam hall holding a stack of practice books for her daughter, revising last minute with her friend nearby._x000D_
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“Just perform normally; that’s enough,” said Deng, 53. “I care more about physical health; the test is just a formality.”_x000D_
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For Deng, whose daughter isn’t aiming for a “name school” such as the elite Tsinghua or Peking University in the capital, doing away with the gaokao would be ideal._x000D_
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“No more gaokao. Let’s not gaokao anymore,” she told AFP. “But that’s impossible,” she said, smiling._x000D_
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For many Beijing students, the gaokao was still a step toward achieving their dream._x000D_
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“I hope I can go to my ideal university,” said student Zhang._x000D_
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His friends also cared about the exam, he said._x000D_
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“But if we can calm down, we should be able to get to a stable mentality,” said Zhang._x000D_
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“Mentality is the most important when it comes to the gaokao.”