In Chinese education, the examination is paramount. Students must memorize vast amounts of information to pass major tests, and their futures can depend on the results. The biggest determining factor in who attends elite universities and who does not is the gaokao, the grueling entrance exam. This focus on exam-based education is the biggest contributor to China’s dropout rate, education experts say. According to a report published in May, the dropout rate in some rural areas was as high as 40% (although official Ministry of Education estimates are 5% in urban areas and 11% in rural areas). The report was based on a study conducted by the Institute of Rural Education at Northeast Normal University, which surveyed 17 junior high schools in 14 counties in six provinces and found that even in relatively prosperous areas, the dropout rate could sometimes hit 40%. The report attributed the findings to “school weariness”–fatigue and disinterest caused by rote learning and cramming. 

Source: Inter Press Service