The gaokao, the world's most attended exam, is hailed as the fairest way to select Chinese talents. In a small town at the foot of the Dabie Mountains, Maotanchang, this exam became so special. Some people call it "Asia's largest college entrance examination factory", this town, born because of the college entrance examination, prosperous because of the college entrance examination, because of the college entrance examination and carries the dream of countless children.
01 The origin of the name "Gaokao Factory"
Why is Maotanchang called "Gaokao Factory"? This designation comes from a number of reasons. First of all, there are many students. The number of students in ordinary high schools ranges from a few hundred to several thousand, but the number of repeat students in Maotanchang has reached as many as 89,000. Maotanchang Middle School, covering an area of more than 1,800 acres, has more than 780 in-service teaching staff, more than 200 teaching classes, and up to 25,000 students. Such a large group of teachers and students in Maotanchang, even in Asia, is a rare thing. Therefore, Maotanchang is like a candidate production factory, and a large number of candidates are trained.
Secondly, Maotanchang's educational achievements are remarkable. Although Maotanchang may not be as good as other famous high schools in terms of overall grades, it outperforms most in terms of speed of improvement and rate of improvement. Students come here, and after a year of repetition, their scores can improve rapidly, and sprinting to undergraduate is no longer a dream. Such achievements have attracted many students and parents.
Finally, there are many accompanying parents. In order to facilitate children's learning, Maotanchang has a large number of "accompanying reading rooms", although these cubicles are simple, but the rent is relatively cheap. Therefore, thousands of parents choose to accompany candidates during the college entrance examination, even if they have to bear the pressure of accommodation and life.
This is the hallmark of Maotanchang, and the fact that a high school can attract so many students and parents makes it a special place.
02 Parents' hard work
Accompanying parents face significant financial pressure. Rent, living expenses, tuition fees, these expenses make many families have to bear a heavy burden for their children's college entrance examinations. Some parents even quit their jobs to accompany them full-time to ensure that their children can concentrate on preparing for the exam. Not only that, but they also have to deal with the chores of family life, cooking for the children, delivering meals, and taking care of the living. Accompanying parents are under great mental and financial pressure from the hard work day after day.
This town has also become a place for accompanying parents to support their livelihood due to the arrival of accompanying parents, the rental industry and foreign recruitment. Therefore, the economy of Maotanchang also revolves around this group of parents, who persevere for the future of their children despite their humble life and hard work.
The students of Maotanchang, after several years of repeated studies, finally faced the college entrance examination. However, their parents are also under tremendous pressure to support their children and pray for a good grade. The life of this small town is full of persistence and love from parents and children.
03 Magical college entrance examination culture
Maotanchang's college entrance examination culture is breathtaking. Some parents resort to various magical methods in order to pray for good luck in their children. They wear specific costumes, light incense candles, and even worship a special tree, known as the "soul of the school".
The tree has become a symbol of Maotanchang, and parents come to worship it in order to pray for good luck. Some parents wear various costumes, such as cheongsam and red clothing, in order to "open the flag and win"; Some light Kong Ming lanterns, write down their children's names and ideal achievements, and hope for God's blessing.
Although these rituals are only psychological sustenance, for parents, they are full of hope and confidence. They work hard for their children's future, and every parent is a winner regardless of the result of the college entrance examination.
In short, Maotanchang is a special place, and people here have made great efforts and sacrifices for the college entrance examination. This town is known nationally for its special gaokao culture, which attracts many students and parents. However, there are also many problems, including a high-pressure learning environment and huge financial pressure on parents. I hope that one day, we can create a better way of education, so that students can really enjoy learning and get rid of the pressure of the college entrance examination.