Education Ministry Cuts Scope of Gaokao Bonus-Points Program

(Beijing) – The Ministry of Education has said that most students will no longer be eligible for a program that awarded bonus points on the national college entrance exam for extracurricular activities.

The overhaul of the controversial bonus-points system was announced on December 17 and will come into effect on January 1.

The ministry said students from minority groups, overseas Chinese families or whose parents served in the military or died in a war would still be eligible for the extra points, but ordered regional education authorities to tighten oversight of their programs.