CRI听力: Chengdu: Using Exams to Select Students Prohibited

Chengdu has been in the focus of since last summer in the field of basic education. It is the first city in the country to announce the complete ban on Olympic Math training for young students. Then it takes further actions to prevent middles schools to use exams to select students during compulsory education? Chengdu Education bureau has just reiterated the ban on such practice applied to all the schools, including private schools.

Our reporter Li Dong has the details.

In October, Chengdu Education Bureau publicized a regulation, prohibiting schools from using any kind of exams or Olympic Math records in selecting students during the years of compulsory education from next year.

The Bureau has recently reiterated that the regulation does not only apply to public schools but also private schools.

It suggests private schools can select students by referring to their previous schooling records, comprehensive ability evaluation and interviews.

However, many parents worry that their children may not have an equal opportunity in entering better schools if exams are no longer applicable.

"What will happen to good students who don't perform well in the interview? They may be refused just because of their interview performance is not good enough. Is it possible to evaluate my child in just a few minutes' interview?"

"I don't think the record in primary school will be enough to judge a student's ability."
Grade 6 student Liang Han is also afraid of his interview performance.

"I wonder if I may do something wrong or forget what they ask because of nervous."(www.hXen.com)

The Chengdu Education Bureau also encourages private schools to put part of their recruitment quotas into a computer system which assigns students to different schools at random.

However, educational resources and facilities differ from school to school. Another grade 6 student Chen Xinbei doubts whether random selection via computer is a good idea.

"My study record is comparatively good. But I worry if I have the chance to enter better schools once I am assigned to a school of lower quality."

Some teachers at private schools also reveal that the method of selecting students based on their previous schooling records and interviews lacks unified standard. They expect more details on such standards to be issued soon.

For China Drive, I am Li Dong.