ELA Argument Essay

 

Question: Is it fair that so much is riding on a single test for millions of chinese students?

Millions of chinese students are stressing out over one test that can determine the rest of their life including the job they get, the money they make and the people they meet. After reading the article “China’s Cram Schools” by Brook Larmer, it showed me that it is not fair that so much is riding on a single test for millions of chinese students. The hard and stressful test is know as Gaokao. This test makes 20,000 students train and study all day and sometimes night. Failing the Gaokao may likely mean that you will spend the rest of your left in a factory or having a construction job. This is not fair. Overall, students should not have so much riding on a single test that could determine the rest of your life.

The Gaokao test is unfair because it is too stressful on the students and families. For example a former student at Maotanchang high school says, “I only knew that the school was very strict, to the point that some students had supposedly committed suicide” This quote really shows the amount of stress students go through. This is horrible because its unfair to have that much pressure for students  to tragically committed suicide. Overall, this shows the Gaokao test is very unfair because it is too stressful for some kids to handle. Another example, is in the article a seniors at Maotanchang shows that,  “The previous three years, weekends included, stumbling to his first class at 6:20 in the morning and returning to his room only after the end of his last class at 10:50 at night.” This shows the intense training and studying students have to do to prepare for the Gaokao test. This puts a lot of pressure on the students which is very unfair. Overall, the Gaokao test is very unfair because it is too stressful on the students.

Some people think the Gaokao test is fair because if they do well it allows them to get into a good college. For example, in the article it states, “Xu scored 643 out of a possible 750. That enabled him to get into Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of China’s most prestigious schools.” This shows that the preparation for the Gaokao test was worth it because it helps some chinese citizens to get into a very good school. On the other hand, in the article it states, “Failing the Gaokao test likely means ending up in a factory or construction job.” Most people don’t want that and because they would rather get a job that makes a lot of money, is easier and so they have more options to choose what they want to do. Overall, the Gaokao test is not fair because it determines your future and it is very stressful for kids.

In conclusion, the Gaokao test is very unfair. It will determine your future and that is not fair because it is a lot to handle with studying and memorizing work. It is also not fair because it is very stressful and can result in suicide. The students miss their whole childhood prepare for this test. No games, no cellphones and fewer friends. The Gaokao test determines to much of a students life which makes the test very unfair.