Why Don’t Americans and Europeans Have Zeal for the “Champions” of the National College Entrance Examination?

As the annual National College Entrance Examination was just completed, there was zeal for the “champions,” students who got the highest score in the National College Entrance Examination around China. However, according to a friend who recently returned from overseas, compared with China, there is no such zeal in America, Britain and the Northern European countries.

Why not? The reason lays in the pluralistic evaluation standard on talents in those countries. An excellent student doesn’t only stand out with their exam score, but should also have a healthy mind, positive attitude, noble values, determination, benevolence, creativity and the capability for leadership.

That’s the reason why American universities will refer not only to an SAT score when choosing candidates, but also to the personal statement and an interview. During the interview, interviewers always act tough toward university candidates to discover their hidden advantages and disadvantages and see if they are excellent in both character and determination. If they believe that a candidate is outstanding in a certain field, they will regard the candidate as a talent, even if the candidate may not have a high SAT score. In terms of the personal statement, it is a process that shows candidates’ unique advantages based on the facts, not lies.

For example, a candidate has a strong determination because he doesn’t go down when his family incurred a series of accidents, such as relatives dying and family income decreasing. Rather, he feeds himself by taking a part-time job and insists on participating in voluntary work. That candidate can win interviewers’ favor in the U.S. if he tells his experience honestly. Such a kind of plural and societal evaluation standard is open and flexible. American students therefore are willing to participate in various voluntary activities. It is also common for them to take a part-time job.

Comparatively, although Chinese education stresses a pluralistic evaluation standard, the top rule is still a high exam score. Without a high score, a student who has great social coordinating and leadership capabilities may not get others’ acceptance. Many people who have a particular or unusual specialization are always crowded out. As a pluralistic evaluation standard can’t be implemented in China, the champions in the National College Entrance Examination naturally become “the zenith of the pyramid,” drawing most attention.

In addition, American and Europeans also don’t have zeal for students who got the highest score in the college entrance exams because they believe that “every occupation is equal, and each occupation has its experts.” Individuals can win social respect as long as they have a specialization. The president and a cleaner, despite their different occupations, can both get a decent salary and social labor guarantees. For example, the Finnish education never regards an excellent student as a student who has a high score in exam. Rather, they believe a student is excellent when he or she does best in his or her specialization. Finns believe that a congressman doesn’t excel as a cook. Different people have various talents. Under this circumstance, people concentrate on what they are interested in. Occupations like a driver and a skilled worker also have excellent talents for those who are willing to join in.

By contrast, there are still evident occupation distinctions and discrimination in China. Additionally, only students who get high scores on the exam can enter good colleges, and only those who enter good colleges can have a chance to stand out in the future. Under this circumstance, it is a wild wish to disperse the zeal for the champion of the National College Entrance Examination.