OPINION> FROM THE CHINESE PRESS
No hurry on Math Olympiad
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-18 07:43

Xie Wanbin, a delegate in Fujian provincial people's congress, proposed that the higher education entrance examination should be decoupled from the performance in the Mathematics Olympiad. But the Fujian province did not accept her proposal, due to opposition from the parents of students who obtained awards in the Math Olympiad, which has drawn a comment from the Qilu Evening News. Excerpts:

Xie Wanbin proposed that the students who won awards in the Math Olympiad should not be rewarded with credits for the higher education entrance examination. Her proposal, however, was not accepted by the Fujian government, because many parents, whose children were awarded in the competitions, petitioned the provincial government and advocated against the decoupling.

Xie's proposal is reasonable, because the Math Olympiad has brought more problems than benefits. And, the parents' opposition is also justified. They petitioned the government not because they are big fans of the Math Olympiad, but a sudden change in the policies would affect the performance of their children.

Seduced by the stipulation that laureates of the Math Olympiad could get extra credits in the college entrance exam, their children have spent a load of time and energy for competing in the Olympiad. Naturally, they will oppose scrapping the stipulation.

This development reminds us that the policies of the higher education entrance examination should not be fickle. In some regions, the stipulations for college entrance exams change almost every year.

In a few provinces, the bureaus cannot release a plan for the exam, though there is only a year to come before it. Since college entrance exams are crucial for students, changes should be announced well in advance to give sufficient time for students to prepare.

It is a good proposal to delink the higher education entrance exam from the Math Olympiad. But it is better to make do it gradually, to soften the impact on those who have participated in the Olympiad.

(China Daily 05/18/2009 page4)