A month before millions of Chinese high school students take the country’s grueling college entrance examinations, known as the gaokao, a debate has resurfaced over an exam-based as against quality education system across Chinese media after a senior education official stressed the former’s political correctness.

　　还有一个月百万中国学子即将步入考场参加高考，而在一名高级教育官员强调应试教育的政治正确性之后，中国社交媒体上又掀起了一场对应试教育和素质教育的辩论。

　　Criticism of and opposition to exam-based education has been prevalent in China’s education system, a stigma which needs to be corrected, Lu Jianguo, the head of the education bureau of Ganyu district in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, said in a speech before the city’s Party school in April.

　　今年4月，江苏连云港市赣榆区教育部主任刘建国(音)在该市党校发表讲话说，在中国教育系统中，对应试教育的批评和反对一直不绝于耳，而这一污名需要平反。

　　Lu said that an exam-based education and quality education do not clash, but are methods used in different stages of education. He stressed that grassroots education workers are required to drive students, especially in rural areas, to achieve higher scores in exams especially in the gaokao, as it is potentially life-changing.

　　刘建国表示，应试教育和素质教育并不冲突，而是在不同教育阶段采取的不同教育方法。他强调，基层教育工作者需要激励学生，尤其是农村地区，从而在考试(特别是高考)中取得高分，因为这样做可能改变学生的一生。

　　Lu’s speech immediately sparked lively discussions over whether an exam-based education system should be replaced by a quality-based education system.

　　刘建国的讲话立刻引起了一场讨论，人们围绕应试教育是否应该被素质教育所取代展开了激烈的争论。

　　The exam-based system is an inevitable choice under the current gaokao system. Because the system will determine your future based on a one-time exam, students have to study based on the examination outline, Xiong Bingqi, vice president of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, told the Global Times.

　　二十一世纪教育研究院副院长熊丙奇(音)向《环球时报》表示，应试教育是当前高考体制下的必然选择。因为这一制度“一考定终身”，而学生们则不得不根据考试大纲来学习。

　　Amid wide praise for a quality-based education system which could cultivate personal interests and talents, Xiong noted that it is hard to promote quality education effectively because there is no corresponding established evaluation system with multi-criteria on the students’ interests, and the only tangible evidence is based on the results of the gaokao.

　　虽然广受赞誉的素质教育可以培养学生的个人兴趣和能力，但是熊丙奇指出很难有效地推进素质教育，因为没有建立相应的多标准评价体系、不能保障学生的利益，而唯一公平公正的依据就是高考的分数。

　　Moreover, many people claim that the quality education system under current conditions violates social equity.

　　此外，许多人认为目前条件下的素质教育制度违背了社会公平。

　　Quality education is based on financial status. The wealthy will have better resources for facilities, tutors, and training. So if the exam is replaced by a quality-based criterion, power and wealth will decide education. Children from poor families cannot attain better educational facilities and resources even if they work hard, said a commentary on cwzg.cn on Friday.

　　素质教育是以财务状况为基础的。富人们会有更好的设施、老师和培训方面的资源。因此如果用素质教育代替高考，教育就将变成有权有钱人的专属。正如上周五cwzg.cn网站一篇评论所说的那样，寒门再难出贵子，即使他们再努力也得不到更好的教育设施和资源。

　　Recently, Hengshui High School in North China’s Hebei Province sparked debate by opening yet another branch in Zhejiang Province. The school reportedly forces its students to achieve their exam-passing potential, exposing them to harsh discipline and exhausting workload.

　　近日，河北衡水中学因在浙江设立分校引起了一场争论。据报道，衡水中学逼迫学生挖掘出自己通过考试的潜力，还实施严格的纪律和紧凑繁忙的学习安排。

　　However, Zhejiang education officials, experts and school principals opposed the school, saying it goes against the province’s principles of quality education.

　　然而，浙江教育官员、专家和学校校长对衡水中学进行了抵制，称该校违背了浙江素质教育的原则。

（编辑：何莹莹）