Small steps
After quitting school, Kang had many jobs ranging from salesperson to scriptwriter. She once received just 600 yuan a month while working in Zhuanghe, Liaoning Province.
But when she moved to Beijing to work in the marketing department at a film company in April, her income reached 5,000 yuan a month.
"I've never regretted leaving school. I feel satisfied with my current life. Even though I quit school, I've never stopped learning in my spare time," she said.
Unlike Kang, many young people who only have high school diplomas can only find jobs involving manual labor or working in the service sector, Zhang said.
"They will face employment difficulties sooner or later. Giving up on the gaokao should not be advocated," Zhang said. "Rural college students could make use of the resources provided by higher education to enter emerging industries such as the Internet where abilities instead of connections are important."
Some steps are being taken to address the problem. The State Council announced on May 15 that it would increase enrollment quotas at first-tier colleges for students from poverty-stricken rural areas from 10,000 in 2012 to 30,000 this year, gmw.cn reported.
Some universities are also taking action.
Peking University stipulates that rural students should account for at least 20 percent of the candidates who apply for the university's independent enrollment examinations, according to a report on dahe.cn.
White angels in Chongqing South West Hospital
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