Two names come to mind immediately from the Chinese sports world: diver Fu Mingxia and table tennis player Deng Yaping. They were both accepted to Tsinghua after retirement from the national team. It is important to note that both are among the very greatest in their respective sports; it is not a backdoor for 2nd tier athletes from well-off families.
That was the point I was trying to get at. Those parents are not afraid of minorities like the Tibetans, Uyghur, or even the poor farmers taking seats from their children; they fear the academic powerhouses from places like Zhejiang, Guangdong and the like.
It’s not the fairest system if it forces the children of migrant workers to travel 1000’s of miles back to their registered home district to take the exam.
Similarly, on a frontline episode on the Gaokao from the perspective of students at one boarding academic high school, one student was exempted from taking the gaokao and offered admission to Tsinghua’s math department because he medaled at a prestigious international math competition. On the day of the gaokao, instead of joining his classmates in that exam…he was using the time to learn how to drive to earn his license.
I figured…but felt the need to hold back considering both sides of my family are from those academic powerhouse provinces.
It’s a bit amusing as not too long ago in the context of China’s overall Imperial history, Beijing/northern China was considered an academic backwater not too different from how ethnic minorities in China or poor farmers in rural areas…especially central and west China away from the SE coasts are viewed currently.
@GMTplus7 I am not sure about all students given the opportunity. I can see the privilege be given to those whose parents met the requirements as specified in the article though. The Chinese government would not want millions moving into their major cities and I can not blame them. The changes mentioned in the article I most certain support.
@cobrat I have no trouble with the “special talent” category either. Since these folks have done so much for their country, this is the least the Chinese government can do for them.
@Lindagaf I remember BBC did a long documentary on Chinese education some years ago. One of the students they followed was a girl in Anhui who became a “literary champion” of her province. I still remember how anxious her teacher was before the Gaokao, and how the town celebrated her victory. I will post once I find it.
While still on the topic of a female literary champion, here is a piece from a famous Anhui opera about a woman becoming a literary champion. It was performed by the Anhui folk singer Zhang Yan. Apparently the champion got to parade on horseback through the capital dressed in red and a “crown” of flowers, attend a special feast given by the emperor and marry a princess.
@Canuckguy, personally, I am a proponent of freedom. Including freedom of choice in choosing residence. Perhaps you would be fine with your government restricting where you may live. I would not be.
For someone whose special talent is related academically like that student who medaled at a prestigious international math competition, enthusiastically agreed.
Not as enthused, but still agree…notable talents in non-academic areas such as olympic medalists.
What I DO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH is politically related set-asides…such as one given to the 8 year old son* of PLANAF pilot and IMO…Darwin Award winner Lt. Cmdr Wang Wei who died in 2001 as a result of miscalculating his hotdogging stunt against a much larger lumbering US Navy surveillance aircraft well within international airspace. Unwarranted considering the death was caused by the father’s own idiotic stunts gone awry.
Guaranteed admission & full funding from what I understand to Tshinghua university without exam.
Here is episode 1 of the BBC documentary on Chinese education that I promised. The story of Wu Yufei is particularly interesting for those of us who want to know how a student gets into a Chinese elite like Tsinghua:
@OHMomof2 I think you are conflating the elite prep schools with the special talent category. The elite athletes I mentioned above were much more than national champions. Deng Yaping, for example, has won 6 world titles and 4 Olympic golds. She enrolled in Tsinghua as a mature student.
Here is a more in depth description of what it takes to get into an elite prep like Renmin. Hint: exams at grade 6: