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My University and Gaokao (高考 ) Part One:National College Entrance Examination

Li Mei(limeiwang@yahoo.com)

Institute of Higher Education,

East China Normal University

24 September 2010

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outline

IFE 2020 East China Normal University

Historical Root of Gaokao: Imperial Civil Service Exam

Role, Function and Significances of Gaokao

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IFE 2020

• My mind Exhausted and overwhelmed by all the knowledge, information, ideas, lessons, experiences given by Deane, John, Mok, Molly, Yuchen, Thai alumni and our 2010 alumni

• Hopefully, I could seek the seed and plant in my home land to see what will grow

• Exploring BKK, memorable experience

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A National Normal University

• Established in Shanghai in 1951

• Listed as a “211” institution in 1996

• Joined the elite club of “985” project in 2006

• Comprehensive U with education in the lead

• Joint-construction of Shanghai municipal government and central government since the late 1990s

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Literature and History Building

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Figures in 2009

• 19 faculties, 67 u programs, 178 master programs, 122 doctoral programs, and 18 postdoctoral

• 29,600 students, among them, 14,000 are undergraduates, 12,000 are master and doctoral students, 3,600 international students

• 2,000 faculty members, 1,100 are full professors and associate professors, over 40% PhD holders

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Liwa River

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Liwa River in the Main Campus

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Financial Sources

• Before 1990, 100% from central government

• Currently, 40% from governments, 60/40 between central and local governments

• Tuition fees accounts for 10%

• Other funding sources: projects 211 & 985, research contracts, various training and consultancy projects etc

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Library in the new campus

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Contexts

• Fast and continual economic growth

• Strong Social Demand for HE

• Largest Higher Education System

• Hierarchical HE System

• Culture value education

• Official-dominated society, political power penetrate all domains of society

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History does Matter

• China has a long history of thousands of years of civilization

• The history leaves with us with legacy, good or bad• Long history just like a long tail• History can be either a great Fortune or a heavy

burden, both. Such is the case of examination• Asia in general, China in particular is an exam-based

society

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Imperial Civil Service Exam

• Lasted for 1300 years, from Sui Dynasty to Late Qing Dynasty(605-1905)

• The Emperor Tang Taizong claimed, with ICSE, all talent people under my regime/control

• Far-reaching impacts politically, socially and psychologically in Pre-modern China and modern China

• Influence other countries as well, British civil service system, Vienam had adopted Imperial Civil Service Exam (1807-1919)

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Imperial examination system

• civil service selection mechanism

• The imperial examination system thus dominated traditional higher education, creating a class of intellectuals who climbed the ladder from local to provincial and finally capital and palace examinations

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The Ladder of Exam system

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Basic Philosophy of Imperial Exam

• Ruled by men of ability and virtue was an outgrowth of Confucian philosophy

• The examination system was an attempt to recruit men on the basis of merit rather than on the basis of family or political connection

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In testing

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Testing Room

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Positive Effects of Imperial CSE

• This system created a meritocracy with best students running the country. The examinations gave many people the opportunity to pursue power and honor — and thus encouraged serious pursuit of formal education.

• Since the system did not formally discriminate based on social status, it provided an avenue for upward social mobility. The exams themselves were open to all males regardless of age or social class.

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Classics as the textbook

• If a person passed the provincial examination, his entire family was raised in status to that of scholar gentry, thereby receiving prestige and privilege

• The texts studied for the examination were the Confucian classics

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The abolish of Imperial Exam

• In the 19th century, there was conflicts between China and the west. Imperial China was forced to open the door and to transfer from pre-modern to modern society.

• In 1905, imperial exam system was abolish. The modern universities were established, adopting the European Model of Higher learning.

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Gaokao

• The "National College Entrance Examination" (or "Gaokao" in Pinyin) is an annually held examination. This exam is required for college admission, selecting candidates for colleges.

• It is usually taken by students in their last year of high school, even though there has been no age restriction since 2001

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What is Gaokao

• Thousands of troops on a single-log bridge

• Once a year

• Gate-keeper: SAT in China

• Screen Machine/selection instrument for recruiting college students

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Culture Revolution Period (1966-1976)

• Schools were closed

• Urban youths flooded to the rural area for learning from peasants and working class

• Intellectuals went to the countryside for re-education by peasants and workers

• Gaokao was postponed for 11 years

• Loss of the whole generation of human capital

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The resuming of Gaokao in 1977There is a move named Gaokao 1977

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From Mao’s era to Deng Xiaoping’s era

• Significant Turning Point

• Change the fate of thousands of examinees

• Transform from political-ideological wars to social and economic construction

• The whole nation turn to the right direction

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1978 Gaokao

• On 20 July 1978, 6 million youths and young adults sit for Gaokao. 29,000 (5%) could be admitted to the HEIs.

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Elite HE (1977-1998)

• Highly selective

• Fiercer competition

• Written Test of subjects

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Gaokao-expansion

• CEE has been growing rapidly since 1949 with only 59 thousand candidates in1952, but 3.2 million in 1998, 7.23 million in 2004, 8.67 million in 2005, and10.1 million in 2007, the number of candidates surged 170 times in 50

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Characteristics

• High risk/stake

• Largest

• Most important

• National uniform

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Why Gaokao

• Equal of Opportunity, uniform CEE would be open, fair, and impartial,

• Merit: all were equal before the exam

• Efficient way of selection students

• Official-dominated society

• highly comparable

• financially and manually efficient

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Gaokao Shapes Chinese education system

• Gaokao, was named as the conductor of the whole educational system, especially the schools before university. If you can imagine the faculties and students in the tens of thousands of schools as members of an orchestra, the Gaokao is, maybe, the only conductor that tells what they should do.

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Function One: Screen machine

• Screening machine for placing high school students to universities/colleges

• “The examination determines who is granted admission to the various levels of HE but more importantly, who is granted admission to the most prestigious HEIs, those that will determine the occupational and income future of graduates” ---IFE 2020

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Function Two: Social Mobility

• Social Mobility

• Social Stratification

• One of the most significant mechanism for social mobility, from low social class to middle and high social class, from rural areas to cities

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Social Stratification in Modern China

Upper mobility Lower Mobility Official, Professional, Businessman

Worker, Peasant Lower Underg

Upper-middle

Middle

Lower Under

Upper

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Function Three: Social Stability

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Gaokao and Access, Equality, Mobility

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Negative Effects: dizzy, vomiting, insomnia,

schizophrenia

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Cheating and Corruption

• However, cheating in Gaokao has become a serious problem, which arouses parents and educational authorities' special attention.

• A series of reports unveil cases of high-tech cheating and mass cheating in Gaokao.

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Cheating in Imperial Civil Service Exam