Life> Kaleidoscope

Peking University mulls exam reform

By Liu Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-12-12 10:06

Peking University, one of the most admired colleges in China, may try a new approach to recruiting high school students in 2011, its president Zhou Qifeng says. The idea is to pilot the examination methods 11 professors put forward last month.

"I hope in 2011 Peking University will use the method the professors proposed," he says after addressing the second World Innovation Summit for Education, held in Doha from Dec 7 to 9, on the issue of innovative trends in education.

"We will likely launch it in several regions to see how it works," he adds.

On Nov 5, 11 renowned professors from Peking University wrote to Zhou, suggesting a test scrutinizing not only the scores for the conventional nationwide college entrance examination, or gaokao, but also incorporating an interview assessment.

"To use the gaokao as the only criterion is not fair. We believe that, at least at Peking University, it is time for reform."

The professors suggested that Peking University set a minimum gaokao score as the criterion for an interview by teachers from various departments, who will examine the students' academic performances at high school, their keenness to study and innovate, among the attributes to be noted.

In an open reply published on the university's website three days later, Zhou shared his willingness for reform, and called for more suggestions from a wider group of the faculty and alumni.

Now the university is holding discussions about the new approach. If the measure is adopted, gaokao scores will no longer be the only standard to admit a student. Even so, Zhou said he was not about to abandon the gaokao.

"We have about 10 million high school graduates applying to colleges every year, and there are not sufficiently good educational resources for them," he says.

"With such fierce competition the gaokao has been, so far, a relatively reasonable and fair test in which students show certain learning abilities That's why we still want to use it as a preliminary filter. "

While some worry the emphasis on interviewing could encourage corruption and unfairness, especially for students from impoverished areas who may have fewer chances to perfect their presentations, Zhou says the professors have addressed this issue in a second letter.

These include specified measures, such as how to select qualified teachers as interviewers, what abilities should be examined in the interviews, and how to ensure fairness among rural and urban students.

"It still needs time to perfect the practice and determine its results, but I do believe it would be a significant step if we made it," Zhou says.