The exam-oriented educational system, combined with parental verbal and physical abuse, have caused immense suffering for many young Chinese, leading to widespread self-doubt, emotional breakdowns and mental health issues. Liang Hong, author of Let There be Light: Trauma and Reconstruction of Contemporary Chinese Youth, published in September 2025, said that although the test-centered educational system is hard to change, parents, who are essential to children’s growth, can at least alleviate their children’s pressure before it becomes unbearable. Socio-anthropologist Xiang Biao suggests that parents should not obsess too much or place too many high expectations on their children. Meanwhile, experts say that equal treatment should be applied to vocational school students who fail the high school entrance examination and are unable to attend high school. They believe that as long as they receive appropriate teaching, these students will be as successful as their high-school contemporaries.
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