Every year on June 7, 8, and 9, are the days of the Chinese students’ college entrance examination. During these three days, both parents and children are equally nervous because passing the exam can change their destiny, bringing immense pressure to the students. This year, a student in Shandong suddenly broke down in the exam hall, tearing up his own Chinese test paper, then proceeded to grab and tear apart other students’ papers. Some parents believe that the educational system under the Chinese Communist Party is causing students to have mental breakdowns.
According to information circulating online, on June 7th, at Zoucheng No.1 Middle School in Jining City, Shandong Province, a student suddenly tore up his own test paper, then stood up to tear apart the papers of those behind him before attempting to snatch papers from other students. The examinees quickly protected their papers, and the exam was extended by 5 minutes for the torn papers to be replaced with new answer sheets under the supervision of invigilators.
Ms. Wang, a parent of a student from Shandong, told media outlets, “With such a high unemployment rate now, parents are under immense pressure. Everyone hopes that through education and getting into a university, they can change their destiny, but it’s actually very difficult. Shandong province has 700,000 examinees this year, but only 300,000 will be admitted as undergraduates, which means out of 700,000, only 300,000 will be selected.” She emphasized, “So the pressure is intense, the competition is fierce, the number of students is limited, and if they don’t go to college, these children will be left behind.”
She continued, “Even if they enter prestigious universities like the ‘985’ or ‘211,’ what’s the point if there’s no ‘guanxi’ (connections)? Without connections, it’s difficult to find a good job even after graduation. Nowadays, practical skills and professions are more promising. Learning a specific trade may hold better prospects since not everyone can excel in academic knowledge.”
Ms. Wang criticized, “The exam questions these days have a lot of logical thinking problems, resembling text interpretation tasks, where students need patience to carefully decipher the questions, extract key information, and then refine their answers. It’s a pace that can lead to people breaking down.”
A former Chinese teacher, Mr. Tian, stated that the education system under the Communist Party is completely inhumane, serving as a tool for the regime. He pointed out that with such a high-pressure educational system, it’s normal to see students experiencing mental breakdowns. “Incidents like students jumping off buildings at schools in Hengshui are reported every year. Even getting into a university is not beneficial; relying solely on knowledge to change one’s fate is a dead-end. But ordinary people have no other choice but to push their children to go to university.”
“Both schools and families put immense pressure on students, who already have their own stress to deal with. This accumulated pressure not only aims to change their individual destinies but also carries the burden of altering the family’s fate. The stress becomes too overwhelming for children, leading to instant breakdowns,” Mr. Tian remarked. “The Communist Party’s education system is essentially the state’s system. Sectors like tobacco, petroleum – the most profitable ones – as well as the authoritative powers in the judicial and civil service sectors, are all monopolized.”
Mr. Tian expressed, “Even if you get into university, you still can’t enter those sectors. Nowadays, people say it ultimately comes down to ‘connections,’ and without that resource, even with outstanding academic performance, it’s challenging to integrate into the group with stable income.” He added, “The employment rate of graduates nowadays is uncertain; only a few can secure jobs. A university degree is becoming obsolete, especially with workers being laid off and the economy in crisis, making life arrangements difficult. Consequently, the pressure is passed onto students, and if they face setbacks they can’t bear, they might break down or even go insane.”
On June 1st this year, a high school senior, 18-year-old Ma Yutong from No.2 High School in Luan, Anhui, who was among the top students academically, jumped off a building just before the college entrance exam. In her farewell letter, she wrote, “I always act happy and positive in front of everyone, but I’m actually exhausted. I’m always forcing a smile every day.” “After every exam, my parents’ first questions are always ‘How many points did you get?’ ‘What’s your rank?’ I know they mean well, but I can’t bear such expectations anymore.”