Administration of the ganokao, final school exam in China, brings an entire nation to its heels for what is considered to be a single determinant of individuals’ futures and fortunes. The enormity of that is conveyed in the lede of the story “Is China’s gaokao the world’s toughest school exam?”
The first paragraph is a scene setter. It describes preparations across China for a single day in June when the test is given. Collective efforts focus on controlling the environment surrounding examination halls. Traffic is detoured, construction or any activity that might generate noise is suspended, and police patrol to avert potential disruptions. The enormity of the stakes of this test hit the reader hard. The imagery of an ambulance standing by is almost chilling.
So, yes. I thought it did cry out – “J.C., listen to this!” And the story does not disappoint. It portrays one individual’s preparations for the test, confidence in taking it, and tension in waiting for the results. I won’t give away the ending in case you haven’t read it, but I found it incredibly memorable and thought-provoking.
Three things drew me to this story – one being my complete unfamiliarity with the word gaokao, which sparked interest, especially in the context of the title calling it possibly the world’s toughest test. Secondly, the deck set up a scenario of success or failure of epic proportions, sounding quite dramatic. And thirdly, we are a multicultural family with Amerasian granddaughters. The girls’ maternal grandparents grew up in China and share stories of their school experiences. I don’t believe they took the gaokao (it may have been suspended at the time) but they present a picture of school as a harsh and demanding environment.