Less Gaokao Participants, More Seek Int'l Study

　　This year's national college entrance exam begins on Friday.

 

　　Government figures are suggesting the number of students sitting the Gaokao is going to be down, largely because high-school grads now have more options open to them these days.

 

　　CRI's Chen Mei has more.

 

　　Some 9 million students are sitting for this year's Gaokao.

 

　　That's a 30-thousand fall compared with the previous year.

 

　　It is the fifth consecutive¹ drop nationwide.

 

　　Xiong Bingqi is the vice² President of the Beijing-based 21st Century Education Research Institute.

 

　　"Some students are giving up on the gaokao as they seek admissions in overseas universities, while some choose to attend the high school for another year for a better performance. Besides, some schools, especially those in rural and remote areas, persuade the students to give up on the exam for a better enrolment rate. Last but not least, some students think it's useless to go to college."

 

　　A mother of an 11th-grade high school student in Beijing says her son will skip next year's gaokao, as it is proving to be too stiff a challenge.

 

　　"China's education is still lagging behind to some extent. In overseas universities, students can learn what they prefer, while here in China, they are judged based on scores, which only kills their creativity."

 

　　In contrast to the decline in the number of students sitting the national exam, an increased number of students are attending international schools to prepare themselves for overseas education.

 

　　Yan Xiaozhe works for an overseas education agency.

 

　　"Several years ago, people chose to study abroad as they are not able to be admitted to top universities. But now, more elite³ students who can even go to the Tsinghua or Peking University are also willing to go overseas, in a seek of better education."

 

　　Education experts say it could force China's higher education institutions to introduce more ambitious reforms if they don't want to keep losing talents.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Chen Mei.

1 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。