They also serve who have no diplomas

The news of more than 10 percent of China's high school graduates choosing not to sit for the National College Entrance Exams this year made me think, and not ironically so, that it was good for the country.

The limited number of seats - fewer than 3 million - in the country's universities means that only three in every 10 candidates can be admitted. Besides, not all of them will earn a diploma four years later.

A diploma may not be more than a piece of paper, but Chinese society is such that very few doors open for people who don't have one. Many parents start dreaming about their children earning a diploma even before they are born. The pressure on kids begins before they start going to school. Students aim to take the National College Entrance Exam right from the beginning of their 12-year primary, middle and high school. They have had no other choice, but things may have started to change now.