Seven Castles

Key Schools

                                      

September 20, 2006

 

There are many "key schools", of the city-level or district-level, in Shanghai. In "key senior high schools", the best students are found in the "science classes". The top four senior high schools are High School Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai High School, Second High School Affiliated to East China Normal University and High School Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. So if a student is in a "science class" of the above-mentioned schools, he or she might be a most competitive candidate for prestigious universities.

 

It is really stupid and unfair in our school system to maintain the "key schools" with a concentration of the top-quality students. These selective schools, no matter what the performance they give, will continue to be in the top list. It is sad that the bright students produced in other schools all migrate to these "key schools". However, if you are not good enough, but you have wealthy parents who can make huge donations to the key school, then you can take the way of pay-for-enrollment.

 

As I see it, a school's excellence should be measured by how they can turn an average student into a great student with high merits. If this fixed cycle is the rule and "normal schools" would just be training students to be recruited to that particular "key schools", this will bring no motivation to reform and stimulate no competition between schools and dump the spirit and pride of the students in these "runner-up" schools.

 

By pressure and educational force, the majority of the Chinese students, especially those in the "key schools", mature mentally in academic disciplines. The flaw in our education system is that they apply too much pressure for students during junior and senior high school times, as they are continuous preparing for the evil monster known as the national college entrance examinations (NCEE), that pretty much decides your fate with very little alternatives supplied. Ironically, as the students get into university which is supposed to be the best of time to apply knowledge into independent research and practice, the students have it much more easier in university compared to their early days and thus creating very mediocre students that are mostly guaranteed to graduate. 

 

【作者: zhangliping】【访问统计:】【2006年09月20日 星期三 06:42】【 加入博采】【打印】