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Long-Cherished "College Dream" Comes True
"I've been craving for college life for so many years, and now it is time to go," said Wang Weiqiang, a 52 year-old Shanghai citizen, as he filled out an application form for test takers of the entrance examination for college.
Early this month, the country's Ministry of Education rescinded the provision requiring a person should be "unmarried, and under 25 years-old" if he or she wants to take the test and then study at college.
The abolishment rekindled the "college dream" of older people, who did not go to college right after middle school or had missed chance to receive higher education and now have the opportunity in their golden years.
Laid off as a chef five years ago from his factory, Wang never stopped studying his favorite chemical programs in hopes of that he may be eligible to go to college one day and get a new job after graduation.
"Fifty-two is not an old age, for I once learned from newspaper that a lady in the United States received her bachelor's degree from Harvard University in her eighties," said Wang, the eldest one among test takers in Shanghai, who hopes to study chemical science at the famous Shanghai-based Fudan University.
Canceling the age barrier marks China's effort to keep up with international education standard and pursue lifetime education system, said Zhang Guiliang, director with Potential Research Center of Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences (BAES).
Chinese colleges began to recruit students regularly again since 1977, but could only hold approximately 300,000 new students per year. Restrictions on age and marital state is an expediency at that time, said Qu Zhenyuan, senior official with the Ministry of Education.
The colleges has grown and is now able to receive about 2.5 million new students per year making it available to people who are married or older than 25.
"Opening the door of higher education even wider to all will help the people to pursue a better life and thus promote the country's development," said Qu.
With the examination days approaching, the older test takers are trying their best.
Cheng Ying, 34, a worker with a metallurgy factory in Shanghai, has to study from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. in the morning because she is busy working and taking care of her 6-year-old daughter during the day.
Though she finds it rather tough for her to remember so many English letters, she never thinks of quitting. Her life plan is to earn a degree in public administration at Shanghai University and then a good job after graduation.
"My friends and family support me quite well, and my mother-in- law even donated an award of 50,000 yuan (6,000 U.S. dollars) for me," said Cheng confidently.
Bai Chunhua, a 43 year-old clerk and Cheng's counterpart in Beijing, recently went to experts of BAES for advice in choosing a prospective subject at college.
"Some people cannot understand what I am doing, but I just want to go college," said Bai, who participated in the entrance examination in 1977 but failed.
"I will not stop; if I fail this year, I will try again next year," she said.
Zheng Xiaoqi, professor with Beijing Aviation and Aerospace University, pointed out that the older students will still face many obstacles in the way to pursue a degree, for instance, it may be too hard for them to memorize so many textbook-based information.
Yet, "they are experienced, highly motivated and strong-minded, and if I have the chance to choose, I would like to teach such older but talented students," said the professor.
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