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English opens doors
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Han Ximin
STUDENTS report renewed interest in studying foreign languages ever since the Ministry of Education last week increased the number of students in foreign language schools who can be admitted directly to university.
According to the Ministry's stipulations, 20 per cent of the graduates of 11 key public-funded foreign language schools in cities including Shenzhen, Changchun and Chongqing can skip the National College Entrance Exams and instead be recommended to universities of foreign language studies.
"This will increase the number of our recommended students from 12, the number last year, to 26," said Principal Gong Guoxiang of Shenzhen Foreign Languages School. The average proportion of last year's recommendation is around 12 per cent.
"The stipulations, which gave students more opportunities to study in foreign language universities, show the government's affirmation of support for foreign language schools," according to Gong.
On the other hand, the stipulations set tighter qualification requirements on the recommended students from other schools. Students who excel on the provincial level or who win academic competitions can be prospective candidates. This strict requirement is expected to slash the recommendation number from last year's 25,000 to 5000 nationwide, down 80 per cent. The candidates don't need to attend comprehensive aptitude tests as in previous years, but foreign language students will have to take academic tests.
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