Vying for better schools

There's long been intense competition among Chinese students vying for a place at university. Now, similar fierce competition is emerging for primary school students choosing a middle school.

Competition begins even before graduation.

A computer matches students to middle schools at random. But it is a method that is not welcomed by everyone.

A student said, "There are 44 students in my class. Only a dozen have not found a middle school yet. It is not good to wait for a computer to select a school for you. The chance of being accepted to a good school is extremely rare. It is very important to enter a good middle school, or else you cannot go to a good senior school. So I would prefer if a computer didn't select my middle school."

Yang Dongping, education expert of Beijing Institute of Technology, said, "The policy is almost dead. About two-thirds of parents are doing everything they can to pick a better middle school for their children."

Doing "everything they can" includes donating money to schools under the premise of sponsorship, or signing up for training courses which can recommend students to famous schools.

Good schools have better teachers and learning facilities.

This is the entire gym equipment at one particular middle school. And those are all an ordinary school owns.

This is the reading room of a highly sought-after middle school, compared to the reading room of an ordinary school. Parents don't need to read between the lines to see the difference.