Julia Balder
4/13/15
808
Question #2: Is it fair that so much is riding on a single test for millions of Chinese students? Write an argument essay that uses text evidence to support your claim.
First of all, preparing for the gaokao is a very stressful time for students. The article, “ China’s Cram Schools,” in Upfront Magazine says, “A senior at Maotanchang (a high school in China) had spent the previous three years, weekends included, stumbling to his first class at 6:20 in the morning and returning to his room only after the end of his last class at 10:50 at night.” A caption explaining what a picture of students studying hooked up to Intervenous Drips, the caption says, “Intravenous Drips: Students in Hubei Province go to extremes to study beyond the point of exhaustion.” These two quotes can show the basic lifestyle of a student preparing to take the gaokao. The quotes imply that students are at school for more than half the day studying for a test that can choose their fate. The article also says, “Teenage suicide rate tends to rise as the gaokao nears.” This quote shows how much stress is put on the high schoolers that they actually kill themselves because they think their not going to ever pass and be sentenced to working in a field or factory. Of course there will always be suicide, but a single test shouldn't be a strong enough force to push students to kill themselves. Overall, preparing for the gaokao cause severe stress to the students.
Second, the gaokao also cause stress for parents and guardians, teachers and faculty. The article says, “ A fact that worried his mother, … his mother quit her garment factory job to support Yang in his final year of cramming.” Another idea presented in the article was, “My mother constantly reminds me that I have to study hard, because my father is out working far from home to pay my school fees.” This is often how it is when students are studying for the gaokao (generally if the came from poor, rural areas in China), the mother would come to live with the child while the father goes out to the large coastal cities looking for work to pay the school fees. The parents must provide for the student still and while many quit their jobs or move to get a better paying job it is mostly no enough. The article says, “Many wealthy families are simply opting out of the system, placing their children in private international schools in China or send them abroad for an education.” This shows how if it is possible and if you have enough money to avoid the test and the stress involved. If just anyone could opt out of the gaokao and go to different schools and colleges abroad the whole system would be less stressful. The article says, “Teachers dole out lessons, and frequently punishments, with military rigor; their job security depends on raising their students test scores,” the article also says, “Security guards roam the 165-acre campus in golf carts and on motorcycles, while surveillance cameras track students’ movements.” The schools have high security and strict teachers, the test is no joke for them. Its seems as if when you get into high school in China you are studying for the test that determines your fate and cause so much stress for everyone involved, including teachers and faculty. Overall, the gaokao causes stress for everyone involved.
Some people may argue that its fair that so much is riding on this one test, I don’t personally agree with this statement because of many reasons and facts. Some people may argue that its is good that having only one form of grading and acceptance into college. They would argue that even though the government is pushing for more ways that students can be selected and get into a college, but parents are saying no. The only reason parents are saying that they don't necessarily want it because, “Many parents who fear that easing the pressure could hurt their children exam results and jeopardize their future.” Parents are only doing this because they want to keep their child studying and focused on scoring well on the gaokao to make sure that just incase the other thing that allows the to get into college isn't so good the test scores will always help them. Some people may argue that you can take this test over if you fail the first time. I would argue that, “Even public schools in China charge fees … his family couldn't afford a repeat year.” The fees are so high that many people cant do a repeat year. So the people who do fail the gaokao it likely means that they are going to end up in a factory or construction job. The gaokao isn't a fair way of testing either, “Rural students are at a real disadvantage. Villages like Yuejin have poor schools and few well trained teachers. Wealthy urban families can hire private tutors, pay for test-prep courses, or bribe their way into the best city schools. And rural students are allocated far fewer college-admissions spots than students from cities.” This is completely unfair the rural students are at complete disadvantages. The gaokao is taken by more than 9 million students each year so many of them have come from small rural towns hoping for a fate better than their parents. To get into college in China more than one test showed count in the selection process.
Overall, it is not fair that so much is riding on this one test. A test shouldn't define you, so the way that colleges in China select their students isn't fair. Different people have advantages and disadvantages, and no one has a say in that. Colleges should be more considerate to who they accept or not. The gaokao shouldn't be the only way to get into college.
Larmer, Brook. "China's Cram Schools." Upfront Magazine 30 Mar. 2015: 12-15. Www.upfrontmagaine.com. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
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