Dwindling numbers, tough challenges

Chinese exams losing sheen as more parents prefer Western college education for children

Growing demand for overseas college education has led to fewer students taking the national college entrance examination in China, or gaokao, says a recent report from China National Radio.

According to the Ministry of Education, only 9.15 million students attended this year's gaokao held on June 7, a 2 percent fall from the student numbers in 2011. More significantly, it was the fourth consecutive year in which the student numbers had fallen and the biggest decline till date.

In 2009, the first year of the decline, 10.2 million students took the gaokao, while in 2010 it fell to 9.57 million. Last year, the numbers fell to 9.33 million.

Though the CNR report attributes lower population as the main reason for the dwindling student numbers, it also said that more high school students are now skipping the gaokao.

Xiong Bingqi, vice-president of 21st Century Education Research Institute in Beijing, says that some students are giving up on the gaokao, as it is proving to be too stiff a challenge.

"Many Chinese parents have come to realize that they do not want their children to face undue pressure or hardship due to the gaokao. In some cases, the average academic levels of students also act as a deterrent from taking the examinations. So some parents choose the option of education in overseas colleges," Xiong says.

Liu Fengjie, the UK project director at Chivast Education International, an education consultancy for Chinese students overseas, says that the number of Chinese students seeking admissions in overseas universities, particularly in the UK, has risen sharply in the past few years.

"The increase has also come about due to the differing admission standards in both nations. In China, the universities base their admission decisions on the gaokao score, whereas in the UK it is on the overall scores achieved by a student during the last three years of high school. In other words, the UK admission system seems to be fairer on the students unable to achieve success in the gaokao," Liu says.

According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Education, there were 339,700 Chinese students studying abroad last year, a 19 percent increase from 2010.

Like the UK, the number of Chinese students seeking admission to US colleges has also grown. The number of Chinese applicants at US universities rose by 18 percent this year to 76,830, the seventh straight year of double-digit growth, says a report from the Council of Graduate Schools, which tallies admissions at more than 500 universities and colleges in the US and Canada.

Jiayu Li, founder of USAdaxue.com, a consultancy for Chinese students in the US, says that the number of Chinese students taking the standardized test for college admissions has seen annual growth rates in excess of 30 percent. By rough estimates, some 30,000 Chinese students took the SAT exams last year, he says.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language, an examination developed to assess the English language proficiency of non-native speakers wishing to study at American universities, has also seen a flux of applications from students in China.

Although the TOEFL is held in China every week, registrations for the examination need to be done well in advance. The popularity of TOEFL has also proved a boon to some touts who sell the exam opportunities for a fast buck.

"Some students will stay on the Internet for the whole day to just see if someone has withdrawn their registration. If any spots open up, they will quickly register for those who have not had a chance yet. For providing such services they charge anywhere from upwards of 50 yuan ($7.8; 6.3 euros)," Li says.

But in spite of these teething problems, the lure of an overseas education is still proving to be an attractive proposition for Chinese students.

"Unlike education in China, the US colleges have a more practical approach toward education, rather more oriented toward enhancing problem-solving abilities. In the case of UK colleges, it is the rich legacy of quality education that is proving to be irresistible for Chinese students," Li says.

Of the 31 provinces in China, where students take the gaokao, Beijing was the only city that saw a steady decline in student numbers for the past six years. This year, only 73,400 students attended the gaokao in Beijing, 2,000 fewer than in 2011, according to data provided by the Beijing Education Examination Authorities.

"Economic conditions are the main consideration for students from first-tier cities to chose foreign universities over the gaokao. In the second- and third-tier cities, the number of such instances are much lower, as the gaokao continues to hold sway," Li says.

"Nowadays, more and more Chinese parents are realizing the importance of an international education for professional and employment success in the future," says Jiang Xueqin, spokesman for the International Division of the Affiliated High School of Peking University.

At the same time the overseas education flux has also led to two disturbing trends, Jiang says.

"The first is the transfer of wealth overseas. A lot of money that could have been invested in developing Chinese education (tuition fees) is now being transferred to overseas education institutions," he says.

"The second reason is that while there are a minority of truly excellent students who will benefit from an overseas education, the majority are still those who do not have the focus and the discipline to succeed in the Chinese education system. As such, it is uncertain what they'll actually learn in overseas education institutions considering that many of them lack even rudimentary English-language skills."

liaoxue@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/08/2012 page3)