[CGTN·视频]Shanghai and Zhejiang pilot new exam system

In 2014, the State Council issued a document outlining reforms to China’s National College Entrance Exam system. The reform aims to produce a more rounded education system and encourage students’ development in a broader range of areas.      

Shanghai Municipality and Zhejiang Province are piloting the reforms and on Wednesday, the first students there will sit for the new exams.      

Chen Yu, a Grade 12 student of Shanghai Jianping High School, is one of the first group of students who will graduate under the reformed college entrance exam in Shanghai this year. Mandarin, math, and English continue to be compulsory subjects, but students will no longer have to choose between a science or a liberal arts track. Instead, they can choose three subjects from a pool of six: biology, chemistry, geography, history, physics, and politics.      

“My classmates and I have chosen different subjects since the first year of high school, and we have different combinations of subjects. We need to move between different classrooms, which means we have to be more organized and plan our studies well,” Chen said.    

The new system will give students more flexibility, allowing them to choose their subjects based on their interests and strengths.      

Along with their grades, students will also be evaluated on their moral standards, physical health, art and social activities. This has caused students to spend more time volunteering during their holidays.      

Yang Zhenfeng, principal of Shanghai Jianping High School, said that it was a positive signal of the education reform.      

“Our education used to focus on higher scores rather than students' all-round development. By changing the evaluation criteria, we can guide them to improve their development intelligently, physically and morally, and encourage them to pay attention to society,” he said.      

Before the reform, students' choice of university was given priority instead of the subjects they wanted to study. Now, they have more options for their applications and their preference of subject is given equal consideration.      

“In the past, many students focused too much on what the university was like, without finding out enough about the subjects they would study, and that affected their performance. It also means students must think more about their career path and personal development,” Wang Linyuan, vice head of enrollment of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said.      

Education is a foundation for any country's future. The authorities hope that this entrance exam reform will improve the way in which the nation's top universities select their students, and more importantly, cultivate the next generation.      

来源：CGTN 2017.06.07