China is our long-lost (and much more disciplined) sibling, part 901: “For two days in early June every year, China comes to a standstill as high school students who are about to graduate take their college entrance exams. Literally the ‘higher examination,’ the gaokao is a national event on a par with a public holiday, but much less fun. Construction work is halted near examination halls, so as not to disturb the students, and traffic is diverted. Ambulances are on call outside in case of nervous collapses, and police cars patrol to keep the streets quiet. Radio talkshow hosts discuss the format and questions in painstaking detail, and when the results come out, the top scorers are feted nationally. A high or low mark determines life opportunities and earning potential. That score is the most important number of any Chinese child’s life, the culmination of years of schooling, memorisation and constant stress.” Read “Is China’s gaokao the world’s toughest school exam?” in the Guardian.