Primary School Mathematical Olympiad "Black Competition" Transformed into Winter Vacation "Study Camp"
The organizer of the "Cup" secretly organized exams to make money; some illegal competition activities were investigated and the organizers were investigated
After New Year's Day in 2024, there are more parents in the entry-exit reception halls of various districts in Beijing who are applying for Hong Kong and Macao passes for their children. They are about to participate in a mysterious event, codenamed "DSS" (Masters Competition).
In early January, coded messages about primary school Mathematical Olympiad “cups” such as the “Hope Cup”, “China Cup” and “Masters Competition” were once again active in the parent group. Booking tickets, booking hotels, applying for Hong Kong and Macao passes... Under the "matchmaking" and "command" of the training institution, parents complete the preliminary work such as registration, payment, and pre-trip preparations.
Under numerous policy restrictions, the organizers of the "Cup" are still changing the name, organizing large-scale competitions in violation of policies, and secretly organizing exams, awarding awards and other activities to make money. During the investigation, the reporter found that many "cup competitions" used "study trips" as a guise, set entry thresholds and strictly limited the number of registration places, and strictly kept the exam time and location confidential before departure. The organizers and participants reached a common "tacit understanding." ——Remaining silent on relevant information, this makes illegal events more secretive, and even as the level of secrecy of the events escalates, various chaos such as "selling prizes" and "leaking questions" have also arisen.
On January 29, the China Private Education Association issued an "early warning reminder that some illegal competitions are still waiting for opportunities to be held." It mentioned that such competitions are illegal competitions, and competition organizers spread rumors that "winning competitions will help advance to higher education." He defrauded parents of money, sold anxiety wantonly, and was suspected of serious violations. Students and parents are reminded to consciously boycott illegal competitions and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. It is reported that relevant government departments have intervened in the investigation into the above-mentioned illegal "black competition". In addition, reporters found that many parents' attitudes towards these "black competitions" are also changing, and they called for a rational view of the competition.
A teacher from a training institution posted a registration link for a “black competition” in the group
"Registration ended at the end of December last year, and the places were long gone. As soon as the time and location were announced, parents quickly booked hotels near the test center." In early January, Mr. Sun, an anonymous parent in Haidian, Beijing, revealed Check out the child’s recent itinerary: On January 21, he will first go to Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province to participate in the Hope Cup Mathematics Competition, and then rush to Tai’an, Shandong Province, where the China Cup Competition will be held.
Mr. Sun revealed that the information about the competition was recommended by teachers at the training institution where his children attend classes. Registration and payment were through a WeChat store or group purchase link. “I don’t even know which organization I signed up with. After signing up, someone will bring in the parents who signed up.” The group is waiting for notification.”
"Parents need to send their children to the designated gathering location in advance. Children participating in the competition will be delivered by bus. The specific test points will be kept confidential from parents, and they will be brought back after the test." Mr. Sun said that these competitions have long been banned. , but it has been banned repeatedly and is still being carried out very covertly.
On January 11, the Off-Campus Education and Training Supervision Department of the Ministry of Education, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, the Fire Supervision Department of the National Fire and Rescue Bureau, and the Secretariat of the China Consumers Association jointly issued a reminder that the "Masters Competition (DSS)" and "Hope Cup (XWB)" )," "Hua Cup (HBS)" and other "black competitions" held in violation of regulations.
Under the high pressure of the policy, the competition organizers did not stop. "Everything is business as usual. After the child took the final exam at school in the morning, he was notified to attend the Hope Cup sprint class in the afternoon." Mr. Sun said. At the same time, he expressed his worries, "It's too much trouble, a waste of people and money. Moreover, parents don't know who the organizer is from the beginning to the end. They are all small third-party training institutions that come forward to recruit students. When problems arise, they can't find the organizer." .”
What Mr. Sun didn't know was that the children participating in the "Hope Cup" in Beijing were divided into multiple groups and camps with different destinations, and his child signed up for only one of them. Just 4 days before the exam, Mr. Sun received news from Shijiazhuang that the "Hope Cup" competition was postponed. However, on January 21, the itineraries of the other two participating teams continued as planned, with their destinations being Zhangjiakou and Tianjin respectively.
Among them, the exam in Tianjin was jointly investigated and punished by relevant departments. An accompanying parent revealed, "The driver drove up and down the expressway repeatedly, and was finally reported when he arrived at the venue."
On January 22, the China Private Education Association issued a notice stating that an illegal competition originally planned to be held on January 21 has been investigated and punished by Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Education, Public Security, Municipal Supervision and other relevant departments, and the test papers were confiscated on the spot. The organizers are being investigated by the public security organs according to law. After verification with relevant departments, the above situation is true.
Verified by authoritative channels, the illegal competition activities mentioned in the notice of the China Private Education Association are the Hope Cup.
At the same time, the China Private Education Association reminded that in view of the illegal competitions that are out of the scope of supervision and chaotic organization and management, students and parents have serious traffic, fire and other safety hazards during travel, gathering and activities, which can easily cause personal injury accidents. China Private Education The association once again reminds students and parents to consciously boycott illegal competitions.
Students from the same cup went to multiple places to take exams
Various investigations by reporters revealed that the organizers of the China Cup were very cautious in releasing information and only informed parents that the event would be held from January 22 to 25. After registration ended, no exact exam information was announced until closer to the exam.
A registration link obtained by the reporter showed that the name of the event was "Huarong Road Customs Clearance" and the event location was in Hebei. However, information obtained by a parent of a registered student stated that the event location was in Shandong. "Parents asked many times about the final exam location, but the organization kept it secret. Later, they only said it would be in Tai'an, Shandong, and asked everyone to order train tickets together."
The "overturn" of the Hope Cup did not affect the progress of the China Cup the next day. It was later verified that the Hua Cup competition was also divided into multiple groups. The participating students were divided into multiple batches, one of which was in Tai'an, Shandong, and the other in Handan, Hebei. The event time was January 22.
"Taian camp started in the morning. We took the high-speed train from Beijing to Tai'an. I saw many children riding the train at Beijing South Railway Station, all from different training institutions." Mr. Sun told reporters that after getting off the bus, the children's electronic devices was taken away, "the organizers were worried about being followed." It was later confirmed that the exam was held on the night of January 22.
Another group of participating students were arranged to Baisha Village, Wu'an City, Handan City, Hebei Province. It is reported that locally, Baisha Village is famous for relying on cultural tourism resources to develop its collective economy. According to informed sources, on January 22, about 1,300 primary school students participating in the "Research Camp" stayed in Baisha Village. One of the residences was a "cadre training base", and the "Hua Luogeng Mathematics Activity" (i.e. Hua Cup Competition) was also held on the night of the 22nd. The event took place at a local school.
According to the event itinerary leaked by students participating in the event, the event schedule from January 22 to January 25 involves "understanding artificial intelligence, experiencing maker classroom teaching" and "Handan City Museum understanding the history and culture of the thousand-year-old ancient capital" and other links.
Mr. Sun revealed that after the exam, the next arrangement was "just fun", but most children did not follow the itinerary. Many parents of students who attended the competition revealed that a large number of children chose to leave the camp after the event.
On January 29, the China Private Education Association stated in the "Early Warning Reminder that Some Illegal Competitions Are Still Waiting for Opportunities to be held" that recently, it has received reports from member units and parents of students that some institutions and individuals have traveled to Handan, Hebei, and Shandong in the name of study tours. Tai'an and other places hold "China Cup" competitions. After verification with the relevant local government departments, the competition was an illegal competition, the test papers have been confiscated, and the relevant responsible persons are under investigation by the relevant departments.
The NT$20,000 "Macau Tour" per person is actually a cup competition
In August 2023, the Masters Competition was packaged as a "research camp", and the examination venues were located in Huailai and Chongli, Zhangjiakou. The actual itinerary on the day of the event had many temporary changes. Parents were finally notified that it was forced to interrupt due to some "force majeure reasons" and Notify the accompanying parents to pick up the children. During this winter vacation, the Masters announced that the event will be held in Macau.
The registration method is also more mysterious. In early January, Mr. Hu from Haidian District, Beijing, received an unknown call. After answering, the caller first confirmed whether he was the parent of a certain (student’s name), and then asked, “The Mathematical Olympiad competition for primary school students is about to begin. Have our children participated in the masters competition? What awards have you won?" Then he told Mr. Hu: "Our organization has obtained 20 places, first come, first served." In terms of price, the registration, air tickets, board and lodging, and training fees totaled 20,000 yuan. "Register eight by this Friday. fold". The other party has always refused to disclose the name of the organization.
"There are already many parents of children who have signed up." Mr. Hu told reporters that according to information disclosed by the training institution, the competition location is Macau.
"And these places are still very popular. If you hesitate, they may be gone." Mr. Hu revealed that the organizer will give the registration places to training institutions, and the training institutions will sell the places to parents at a higher price. Different training institutions will increase the price.
The registration and payment link shown by a parent to the reporter showed that the words "Math Olympiad", "Spring Festival Cup" and "Masters Competition" did not appear in the activity introduction. The title only read "Macau Activity Five-Day Tour (not including air tickets)". The price is 12,800 yuan and the time is January 29th - February 2nd. The reporter noticed that registration for this link ended on January 13, and on that day, its cumulative sales volume was shown to be 79 orders.
Although there are differences in prices and terms of delivery among various institutions, they will all emphasize to interested parents: "You need to apply for a Hong Kong and Macau pass in advance."
Faced with the high price, many parents who had planned to sign up began to waver. A parent who did not want to be named complained, "I have been a 'leek' for many years, and I don't want to be cut again this year."
Subsequently, some organizations adopted a more secretive organizational method, launching sales plans that were not tied to the study camp, and "invisible" after giving the participation quota to students. Some parents received a notice from the organization saying that only the examination registration fee is charged, and the price does not exceed 1,000 yuan. Parents need to pay for air tickets and accommodation by themselves, and the organization does not organize groups or send teachers to lead groups. Parents need to take their children back and forth by themselves. "Only during the examination Just show up when the time comes." The organizer even informed parents that they can pay the fee after arriving in Macau or after taking the exam.
However, the registration threshold for this type of application is extremely high. Students who apply can only be members of the organization's training team, or their resumes must be screened. A parent who has signed up told reporters that the institution he signed up for requires that "only 40% of the students in the training team can apply, and others cannot." Many institutions have secretly conducted small-scale selection activities to determine the allocation of participating places. .
"DSS can recruit one more person. Parents who need it can send their child's resume or private message." In mid-January, the person in charge of an unknown institution posted a message in the parent group: "If the child is particularly outstanding, there will be many first-class prizes." For the award certificate, you can send your child's resume to me to see if you can apply for a spot. I don't promise to guarantee a spot, I just try my best. If there are other ways, please try to use other ways to register."
On January 28, the Masters Team Leader reminded parents in the parent registration group to bring stationery, necessary items, ID cards, Hong Kong and Macau passes and printed documents. It is reported that parents have signed up to take their children to Macau on January 29. Some parents received a notice from the organization saying that they must gather at the designated location for the event on the morning of January 30. "Wear a bracelet on your wrist and follow the staff's arrangements for orderly entry." .
On January 29, the China Private Education Association stated in the above-mentioned early warning reminder that it had received reports of illegal competitions such as the "Masters Tournament" intending to be held in Macau, and illegal competitions such as the "China Cup" intending to be held in Hong Kong. Such competitions are all illegal competitions. Competition organizers spread rumors that "winning competitions will help advance to higher education", defraud parents of money, wantonly sell anxiety, and are suspected of serious violations.
The education department will work with relevant departments to crack down on "black competition"
At the end of December 2023, a parent received a "Student Status Registration Form" from a training institution. In addition to the student's basic information and scores in each subject, the form also counted the awards received by the students, including "Three Best in the City" and "Three Best in the District" "In addition to the "Red Scarf Medal", it also includes "AS (Mathematical Olympiad)" and "DSS (Masters Competition)". Then, the teacher from the training institution introduced each school's "special recruitment standards", one of which is the "Four Major Cup Certificates (Yingchun Cup Masters Competition, Hua Cup, Hope Cup, American Mathematics League)".
For a long time, competition award certificates have been regarded by parents as a bargaining chip for primary school students to compete for high-quality educational resources, so their popularity has not diminished. Since 2018, the education administration department has issued "bans" on many occasions, and various competitions in the preschool education stage and subject competitions in the compulsory education stage have been suspended. Since 2019, the Ministry of Education has implemented a whitelist management of national competitions for primary and secondary school students. As of 2022, it has continuously announced a list of approved competitions. However, the above-mentioned primary school Mathematical Olympiad Cup competitions have never been compliant and have been educated many times. The ministry named and reported and banned them.
It is reported that among the participating children, most are fifth grade students, mainly from primary school to junior high school. The certificates obtained by participating in these competitions will be included in the child's resume from primary school to junior high school.
Mr. Sun said that "even if there are no three best students in the city or three best students in the district, if there is an award such as the Masters Competition, according to the popular saying among Haidian parents, they can go sideways." When various training institutions provide statistical information to parents, they will list the admissions (enrollment) of Haidian's "Six Little Strong" (six well-known middle schools in Haidian District), claiming that more than 80% of the children have certificates from these Mathematical Olympiad competitions. "Most parents agree with what the agency says. Look at how many people who 'come ashore' do this. Is it okay if you don't do it?"
These illegal competitions also bring a lot of burden to parents and students. "In the ten days after the final exam and before the cup exam, the sprint classes and surprise training classes set up by many organizations for these Mathematical Olympiad competitions were all full. Not only the days before the exam, but also the children had been following a teacher before. One-on-one training costs about 800 yuan per class, and the registration fee of several thousand yuan is only a small part of the training fee," Mr. Sun said. In addition to investing a lot of financial resources, these illegal competitions also take up a lot of children's time and energy. "There is no time to participate in other extracurricular activities and hobbies, which is also a harm to children."
The reporter found that many parents' attitudes have changed. "This competition is not on the white list. It is completely contrary to the policy and spirit of 'double reduction'. It has caused a lot of extra burdens on parents, and there are major safety hazards and risks in dragging children so far away." Mr. Hu said , I hope everyone can view this kind of exam rationally from the root cause, and promote the decoupling of higher education from these competitions. "Don't let parents and children invest a lot of money and energy in these trainings and exams, and don't do these 'underground agent'-like exams anymore. It will reduce the burden on both parents and children.”
On January 11, the Off-Campus Education and Training Supervision Department of the Ministry of Education, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, the Fire Supervision Department of the National Fire and Rescue Bureau, and the Secretariat of the China Consumers Association publicly reminded that the "Masters Competition (DSS)" and "Hope Cup (XWB)" "The "Hua Cup Competition (HBS)" and other "black competitions" are held in violation of regulations. Criminals spread rumors about "winning competitions to help further education", selling anxiety, and illegally amassing money. This is a serious violation of laws and regulations. The education department will work with relevant departments to strictly enforce the rules. blow.
On January 29, the China Private Education Association once again reminded students and parents to consciously boycott illegal competitions and effectively safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. Competition organizers and relevant training institutions that violate regulations should not take any chances. Once discovered, they will be severely investigated and severely punished. (Beijing News Investigation Team)