E-Paper
Photos: China’s Gaokao exam turns students to prayers and cram sessions
The Maotanchang town is famed for a middle school that puts students through rigorous 14-hour days in preparation for the annual national college entrance exam also known as gaokao, which begins on Wednesday.Usually spread over two days, this exam is a prerequisite for entry into the undergraduate level, which lasts for about nine hours per day depending upon the province.
Updated on: Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM IST
Share via
Copy link
1/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Student Wang Xiaolong does homework in a rented home near Maotanchang Middle School at midnight, in Maotanchang town of Luan, Anhui province, China. The town is famed for a middle school that puts students through rigorous 14-hour days in preparation for the annual national college entrance exam also known as Gaokao, which begins on Wednesday.Usually spread over two days, this exam is a prerequisite for entry into the undergraduate level, which lasts for about nine hours per day depending upon the province. (REUTERS)
2/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Students embrace each other as they leave for the upcoming annual national college entrance exam outside a school in Anhui province in China. This year, the according to Xinhua state news agency about 9.4 million students will appear for the exam. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
3/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Xiang Licheng, a repeat student from Chaohu of Anhui province, poses for a picture. The fiercely competitive test is seen as a key to social mobility and the best chance for school leavers to land a white-collar job. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
4/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Seen above are personal belongings of a student and his parents at a rented home in Anhui province, China. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
5/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Students uses public telephones after school in Maotanchang town. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
6/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Slogans for the upcoming annual national college entrance exam or gaokao are seen on a door of a rented bedroom. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
7/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Citing 2017 enrolment plan of education ministry, the Xinhua state news agency reported that just 40 percent of students are expected to enrol in undergraduate degrees this year. (REUTERS)
8/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Staff members are seen calibrating clocks ahead of China's annual National College Entrance Exam. China’s education ministry has urged exam venues to create an optimal environment for students, and guard against extreme weather conditions, natural disasters and disease outbreaks that could occur during the exams. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
9/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
Restaurant owner Zhang Xunze and his wife Xie Yingchun pose for a photograph by their restaurant. They moved to the town three years ago so that their son could attend the Motanchang Middle School. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
10/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
In the lead-up to the exams, students took part in incense-burning ceremonies to pray for good luck. They also released floating lanterns inscribed with gaokao messages. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
11/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
A mother prays ahead for her child ahead of the gaokao test. (Jason Lee/REUTERS)
12/12
View Photos in a new improved layoutUpdated on Jun 07, 2017 10:49 AM
