Gaokao ends amid epidemic prevention

Families members of exam takers wait for the conclusion of the last subject of this year's  National College Entrance Examinations at the exit of Shenzhen Senior High School in Futian District yesterday afternoon. DT News

Students at Shenzhen Meilin Middle School in Futian District light-heartedly walked out of the school after finishing the last subject of the National College Entrance Examinations, or gaokao, yesterday afternoon.

For exam takers, the time finally came to celebrate with their friends and families for the completion of the gaokao, deemed a very important event, as well as an opportunity to decide their future careers and lives.

“The first thing I want to do right now is to eat hot pot with my parents,” said an examinee surnamed Li from Shenzhen Meilin Middle School.

Parents waiting outside test venues were also relieved after the last exam — the English subject — ended.

“The burdens on my shoulders were finally removed. I want to appreciate my son’s hard work, especially over the last several months amid the epidemic,” said a mother, who goes by her surname Zheng.

A student called Liu Kailin with Meilin Middle School told the reporter that her original plans after the gaokao were to travel to Thailand with her classmates. However, given the epidemic, she said that they canceled those plans but might instead visit areas in Guangdong.

The essay title for the English subject this year is “The person I respect.”

Common answers from interviewed students include parents, family members, teachers and celebrities while some said that they wrote about frontline workers in the virus fight.

Over 30,000 students across the city sat this year’s gaokao which had been delayed for one month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ensure the safety and health of examinees and proctors, Shenzhen has implemented strict antivirus measures at all 43 exam venues across the city.

Examinees were neither arriving late for the test nor violating exam rules on the first day of the gaokao, according to the city’s education bureau.

Staff with the city’s examination office advised exam takers to prepare for the university application work once the gaokao had been finished.