Many expats know very well what it’s like to be a teacher in a Chinese high school, but what are things like from the other side? When I got the opportunity to shadow a Chinese high school student for the day as part of my onboarding at a new school, I jumped at the chance to capture the view from the other side of the desk. Here’s what I learned.

It’s all about the gaokao

Education in China is no joke. High school students spend 12 hours a day, six days a week, memorizing, reviewing, and reciting vast amounts of information in preparation for a grueling three-day test known as the gaokao. Their score on this test almost singlehandedly determines what university they can attend, what major they can study, and, in some cases, whether they’ll go to university at all. Those who don’t make the grades will have to find work or attend a trade school to learn skills such as make-up artistry, massage, and mechanics.

The daily breakdown

Thanks largely to the gaokao, the days are long and rigorous for students at Chinese high schools. At my school, the week lasts six days, kicking off bright and early at 7:30 with morning self-study, except on Mondays when there’s a flag-raising ceremony to attend instead.

Next is the morning drill, where students head to an outdoor field (weather-permitting) to perform a military-style exercise routine to the roar of patriotic tunes blaring from loudspeakers. Interestingly, there seems to be little more upsetting than a weather-induced cancellation of this ever-so-exciting physical education. For some reason the students love this activity. I’ve even heard Chinese teachers threatening a student’s participation as a consequence of bad behavior!

Once the morning rituals are completed, the core coursework begins at 8:00 with classes including Mandarin, science, politics, literature, math, geography, and, of course, English. About to start as a teacher at the school, I was very interested to see how my Chinese counterparts conducted their lessons. I found they tended to stick regimentally to the infamous stack of books that can always be seen towering over a high school student’s desk in China. These textbooks are filled with exercise after exercise, which students busy themselves with before, during, and after school. In terms of discipline, Chinese teachers demand, and receive, respect from their students. Each class begins and ends with the students bowing to the teacher.

The eight periods that make up the Chinese high school day are broken up with a lunch break and, typical of China, a 45-minute nap. Many students leave the campus for lunch, either meeting their parents outside the gate or heading to the nearest McDonald’s. This is really the only break they get in an otherwise grueling day.

After hours

After eighth period, it’s time to go home. Right? Not so fast. There’s still an evening of study to look forward to. After the last official lessons, most students will “choose” to stay behind to do self-study and/or attend supplementary (practically mandatory) classes aimed at ensuring readiness for the gaokao.

At 20:00, the students are finally on their way home, but it’s still not over. After having dinner with their families, they start on their homework, which will likely last them another 2-3 hours. After that, it’s straight to bed so they can get up and do it all over again the next day.

Under pressure

So next time you see students flooding out of a high school in China in their color-coded uniforms, know that their lives aren’t easy. As you can see, high school students in China have to face academic stresses unimaginable to most Westerners. The system has received all types of criticism, with students reporting depression, anxiety, and even committing suicide. Thankfully, it seems things are slowly starting to change, as the government has recently banned private cram schools and extra-curricular tutoring that put even more pressure on students. That said, the mentality among parents and teachers to push these teens to their limits remains rife.

Foreign teachers in China often suffer the consequences of this stress as students act out in our lessons as they know we’re a soft touch. After wearing their shoes for a day, however, I can’t say I blame them for their behavior. They are dealing with insurmountable pressure from parents, teachers, and themselves to excel at a time in their lives when they should be enjoying their youth and concentrating on becoming the well-rounded individuals that they are destined to be. I guess that will just have to wait.

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Keywords: Chinese high school student