China grapples with attacks on teachers after cheating halted on college exam

Wednesday, 12 June, 2013, 3:08pm

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Students and parents block teachers from leaving the Hubei school after the exam. Photo: Screenshot via Weibo

Days after dozens of Hubei teachers were attacked by angry students whose attempts at cheating on China’s highly competitive national college entrance exam were foiled, the nation is struggling to understand what exactly went wrong.

Shocked by the violence, many students and parents have urged an immediate overhaul of the gaokao, a system known to drill students into testing-taking machines.

The attack happened on Saturday afternoon outside a school in Hubei’s Zhongxiang city. After the exam, students besieged teachers who had reportedly imposed strict measures and stopped students from cheating.

More than 50 teachers from outside Zhongxiang had been assigned to invigilate the exam on purpose, said media reports. Of those, two were attacked.

One teacher - after confiscating a mobile phone from a student who tried to slip it into the exam room - was punched in the face by the father of the angry teenager. Police were called to the scene, and the father was later arrested.

On Weibo microblogs, people seem shocked and discussed implications of the conflict.

“Everyone is trying to break laws in China,” one microblogger wrote. “That’s why those [students] who were caught [cheating] call it unfair.”

“That’s what happens when there’s no rule of law in this country,” another wrote.

More than nine million students registered to take the two-day exam this year. The result of the test will determine whether a student will end up at a prestigious institution such as Peking or Tsinghua, or be relegated to a bottom tier university.

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This article is now closed to comments

dunndavid Jun 13th 2013
6:37am

China lacks morality. They once had morality. You can see Chinese morality in place like Hong Kong, Taiwan and among the overseas Chinese, but for much of China morality is gone, destroyed by Communism. I don't think the average Chinese can answer the following question 'Why do good?' Every Christian and **** can answer this question. We are commanded to good because the Bible tells us to do so and says that on our death failure to live up to the commandments of the Bible will be answered for on Judgement Day. Even largely secular Europe is morally directed by this tradition, but not so in China. Lack of morals in China explains almost everything - lack of innovation, lack of rule of law, lack of transparency, even pollution which happens in the context of lack of truth in reporting emissions. These all get back to lack of ethics.

goncalo Jun 12th 2013
8:49pm

Cheating is the Chinese way nowadays!

likingming Jun 13th 2013
3:39pm

If you are correct, china economy would not have grown so rapidly. You must be wrong prima facie.

likingming Jun 13th 2013
3:13pm

If what you said is correct, china economy would not have grown so rapidly. You must be wrong prima facie.

hongkiejj Jun 12th 2013
7:42pm

Only in China where students n parents can beat up teachers.... What kind of bull is this ... Shame on the parents especially ...they should be jail n whip

tranquilben Jun 12th 2013
11:00pm

we take things for granted. HK just a few decades ago was out of control. cheating, corruption, inequality between locals and foreigners, etc. it was a mess, a lot of people emigrated.
it takes time. have some faith. when China catches up and surpasses HK, you'll have something to whine about too, probably about how HK is left behind like a retarded son. And, the racist foreigners sliming around SCMP are no better - you know where the airport is if you don't like it here.

megafun Jun 12th 2013
6:20pm

“Everyone is trying to break laws in China,” ought to read everyone who can does so. “That’s why those [students] who were caught [cheating] call it unfair.” when back-door grades are given out to those who has the right connection!