university entrance examinations
- university entrance examinations
University entrance exams have dominated the PRC secondary education system since the late 1970s, as they do in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Only a miniscule percentage of the students who participate do well enough to be admitted to an elite university, though a somewhat larger percentage are able to gain admission to either a non-elite four-year university or a technically oriented tertiary institution. Students who do not do well enough to get into the university of their choice the first time around sometimes choose to retake their senior year of high school in order to resit the exams.
University places are allocated through provinces and provincial-level cities. Consequently, students from those provinces with relatively few tertiary places but a strong secondary education system, like Hubei, require higher entrance exam scores than students from cities like Beijing and Shanghai to gain entrance to a same-tier university. This discrepancy leads to much resentment. Academic high schools devote themselves almost exclusively to preparing students for the exams, regularly keeping students in classes or study sessions eleven hours a day, six days a week.
Though the number of university places expanded during the 1980s and 1990s, the number of students qualified to sit for the exams has grown even more quickly. The resulting competition is so tough that students liken gaining admittance to university to ‘crossing a single-log bridge’ (dumuqiao) and refer to the month in which the exams take place as ‘Black July.’ Occasional cheating scandals remind everyone of the stakes involved.
Kipnis, A. (2001). ‘The Disturbing Educational Discipline of “Peasanto”’. The China Journal 46: 1–24.
Thogersen, S. (1990). Secondary Education in China after Mao: Reform and Social Conflict. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press.
ANDREW KIPNIS
Encyclopedia of contemporary Chinese culture.
Compiled by EdwART.
2011.
Look at other dictionaries:
National Center for University Entrance Examinations — The National Center for University Entrance Exams or colloquially (独立行政法人大学入試センター, dokuritsu gyōsei hōjin Daigaku Nyushi Center, DNC) is an Independent Administrative Institution that administers the National Center Test for University Admissions … Wikipedia
University and college admissions — University admission or college admissions is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution. In many countries … Wikipedia
University of Helsinki — is not to be confused with either the Helsinki University of Technology or the University of Art and Design Helsinki. University of Helsinki Helsingin yliopisto Helsingfors universitet … Wikipedia
Entrance examination — An entrance examination is an examination that many educational institutions use to select students for admission. These exams may be administered at any level of education, from primary to higher education, although they are more common at… … Wikipedia
University of the State of New York — Not to be confused with State University of New York. For other uses, see University of New York (disambiguation). University of the State of New York Motto* Excelsior Ever upward Established 1784 President John B. King[ … Wikipedia
University-preparatory school — College Prep redirects here. For the high school in Oakland, CA, see The College Preparatory School. A university preparatory school or college preparatory school (also known as tertiary preparation and usually abbreviated to preparatory school,… … Wikipedia
University of South Africa — Infobox University name = University of South Africa established = 1873 type = Public distance education university staff = 4 000 head label = Vice Chancellor Principal head = NB Pityana students = 200 000 city = Pretoria state = Gauteng country … Wikipedia
University College Falmouth — Infobox University name = University College Falmouth motto = Doing Things Differently established = 1902 type = Public staff = rector = Professor Alan Livingston CBE students = 3030cite web |url=http://www.hesa.ac.uk/dox/dataTables/studentsAndQua… … Wikipedia
University of Brasília — Universidade de Brasília Established April 21, 1962 Type Public University Rector José Geraldo de Sousa Júnior Academic staff … Wikipedia
entrance — en|trance1 W3S3 [ˈentrəns] n [Date: 1400 1500; : Old French; Origin: entrer; ENTER] 1.) a door, gate etc that you go through to enter a place ≠ ↑exit entrance to/of ▪ the main entrance to the school front/back/side entrance … Dictionary of contemporary English
