Are "poor students" not worthy of taking the high school entrance examination?

　　China News Service, Beijing, March 29 (Shao Meng) The fact that junior high school students were asked by their schools to voluntarily give up their high school entrance exams due to poor grades has attracted social attention.

　　Recently, a parent in Nanyang, Henan Province reported that the school sent his children an application to voluntarily give up the high school entrance examination. In response to this, the Education and Sports Bureau of Nanzhao County, Henan Province issued a statement on the 27th saying: The situation is basically true. The school has been urged to communicate with parents and relevant personnel will be held accountable.

　　China News Network has noticed that for a long time, for various reasons such as improving the enrollment rate, schools in many places have led ungraduated junior high school students to abandon the exam. Some netizens are wondering, is it reasonable to unilaterally "dissuade 'bad students'"? Why does this kind of phenomenon continue to happen?

Passive "voluntary surrender"

　　The situation statement issued by the Education and Sports Bureau of Nanzhao County, Henan Province stated that it is basically true that the school issued an application to the children to voluntarily give up the high school entrance examination, and the relevant personnel will be held accountable.

  A situation statement issued by the Nanzhao County Education and Sports Bureau. Source: Nanzhao County Education and Sports Bureau official account

　　Regarding the current progress of the process, China News Service called the Nanzhao County Education and Sports Bureau on the morning of the 28th. A staff member said that he needed to report to the leadership first. As of press time, there was no reply. A staff member of Danxia Experimental School in Nanzhao County refused to disclose any information, saying, "I will give you priority when you come to the school to explain," and then hung up the phone.

　　Similar incidents did not only occur in Nanyang. In June last year, a parent in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province reported that his child seemed to have received a message from the class teacher before the high school entrance examination, using the diploma as a bargaining chip to make the child give up the high school entrance examination. The Nanchang Education Bureau later issued a briefing stating that the situation was basically true and the relevant personnel would be held accountable.

　　Li Jing (pseudonym), a candidate in Guang'an, Sichuan, was also persuaded to "abandon the exam" in the second semester of her third year of junior high school. "At that time, the teacher talked to me every day, saying that I couldn't pass the high school entrance examination, so don't waste time, and asked me to give up the high school entrance examination. I was really partial to subjects, but the teacher kept denying it, and the pressure was really great." Li Jing recalled to China News Service, "After I refused, he kept calling my family to persuade me. In the end, I persisted with my mother's support and later passed the exam."

　　On social platforms, many netizens also said: "It happened more than ten years ago", "I have encountered it too, and you will be targeted if you don't agree", "It is the normal operation of many schools"...

Why are students advised to give up taking exams?

　　According to Li Changan, a professor at the National Institute for Opening-up at the University of International Business and Economics, receiving compulsory education is the legal right of every minor of school age. Requiring students to voluntarily give up the high school entrance examination is suspected of violating the Compulsory Education Law and the relevant regulations of the Ministry of Education. policy requirements.

　　"The school may think that the so-called method of asking students to voluntarily give up the high school entrance examination is a 'shield' to exempt themselves from liability. This is an approach to shirking responsibility." Li Changan analyzed that the school excludes students with poor grades from taking the high school entrance examination. It is also to increase the enrollment rate.

  Data map: Parents waiting for candidates outside the high school entrance examination room. Photo by Meng Mingming

　　Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, pointed out that in reality, because many people have prejudices against secondary vocational schools, some secondary vocational schools may have enrollment cooperation agreements with junior high schools in order to complete their enrollment tasks.

　　"The current evaluation of junior middle schools mainly relies on the general admission rate. From the school's point of view, if students can choose to apply for secondary vocational schools first, this will complete the enrollment plan for secondary vocational schools, and on the other hand, it can also improve their general admission rates. "Everyone seems to be happy with the high admission rate. But in fact, for some students, this so-called voluntary choice deprives them of the right to take the high school entrance examination," said Xiong Bingqi.

　　A junior high school teacher in East China said frankly that some teachers have no choice but to do so. The school has pressure on the admission rate, and this pressure is passed on to teachers, and then to students and parents. She also said that many teachers do so out of comprehensive consideration of the overall quality of students, not just for the admission rate.

What’s the solution to the difficult problem of being repeatedly banned?

　　In recent years, many places have emphasized protecting students’ rights to take the high school entrance examination.

  Data map: Send the exam teacher to check the candidates’ preparation supplies. Photo by Yin Liqin

　　A notice issued by the Suzhou Municipal Education Bureau in December 2022 mentioned that "there are still a very small number of schools and teachers that interfere with students' registration for the high school and college entrance examinations" and "it is strictly prohibited to hinder students' registration for the high school and college entrance examinations in any form."

　　In February last year, the Guangzhou Municipal Admissions and Examination Office also issued a document emphasizing that no school or individual is allowed to persuade students to give up the high school entrance examination, drop out of school midway, "diversion" or transfer schools in advance for any reason.

　　However, similar problems still occur from time to time. Xiong Bingqi believes that the key to solving the problem is to enroll students in the same batch of secondary vocational schools and general high schools. "In some places, secondary vocational school admissions are still based on early enrollment and independent enrollment. It is recommended that secondary vocational school admissions be included in the overall high school entrance examination registration system. Students who choose secondary vocational schools must also take the high school entrance examination. Students make choices based on their high school entrance examination scores and personal interests." In addition, further work is needed. Improve the quality of secondary vocational education and eliminate discrimination against secondary vocational education.

　　Regarding schools, Li Changan believes that in the compulsory education stage, it is the school's legal obligation to allow students to successfully complete their studies. Students cannot be treated differently based on their grades. It is unfair for students to let students with poor grades give up the opportunity to take the high school entrance examination. of. "We still have to respect the wishes of students and parents, and the school cannot give up its responsibility." (End)