Opinion

Are they trustworthy?

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-13 08:55

Some seemingly good practices may become channels of corruption when it comes to the enrollment of college students. This explains why substantial reforms of the national college entrance examinations, despite long being blamed for being the major obstacle to the selection of well-rounded students, have made hardly any headway.

Some institutions of higher learning have started trying to enroll a small number of students on their own rather than through the national examinations, with a view to selecting candidates with all-round capabilities. The prestigious Peking University announced last week that from next year, it would allow some senior high school headmasters to refer candidates who fit the bill. The candidates will be able to enter the university, once their credentials pass Peking University's assessment, at national exam scores 30 points lower than the cutoff designated by the university.

There seems no reason to question the motive behind this decision. To maintain its reputation as one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the country, Peking University undoubtedly wants to enroll the best students.

Yet an online survey of more than 13,000 in two days shows that nearly 70 percent are against the decision. Only about 20 percent believe that it will be able to play a positive supplementary role to the national college entrance examinations.

Are they trustworthy?

It is not that the idea is flawed. There are candidates with all-round abilities who do not get scores high enough to enter a good university every year and vice versa.

If Peking University's decision, effective next year, is implemented with enough transparency and strict assessment of the candidates recommended by senior high school headmasters, it will very likely get deserving students enrolled.

What most people worry about is whether the headmasters are trustworthy. There might be some who apply strict and fair criteria in selecting the best candidates from eligible students. Yet with repeated scandals in this matter involving senior high school teachers, including headmasters in recent years, we can hardly rule out the likelihood that some headmasters will abuse their power.

Authorities from Peking University do claim that any senior high school headmaster found cheating will be deprived of the right to nominate students for good. But we are hardly convinced that this penalty is severe enough to prevent headmasters from abuse of power.

On the one hand, there are some wealthy people who believe that money can get all things done. We have no reason to believe that all high school headmasters will be able to stand firm before the temptation of bribes, and neither do we have reason to trust all those in Peking University.

Also, the fact that a local education department appoints senior high school headmasters makes it imperative that they are, first all of, responsible to local governments. What if someone from the local government intervenes? What if the headmasters are pressured by higher authorities to cheat?

There are too many possibilities for abuse of power. That is why most people do not oppose the idea but worry that the seemingly good idea may turn out to be one more channel for corruption.