Students of the Green Harbor Red-Ribbon School prepare for the upcoming National Higher Education Entrance Examination (file photo)

An examination room for HIV positive examinees has been established at the Green Harbor Red-Ribbon School in Linfen, central China's Shanxi province, for the country's upcoming annual National Higher Education Entrance Examination. Sixteen students from the school will test their knowledge in this very room.

It is China's first examination room of its kind, said the school's principal Guo Xiaoping, adding that the exam room is of historical significance.

The Green Harbor Red-Ribbon School is the only school in China that provides education and medical treatment to children living with HIV or AIDS. Established on Dec. 1, 2011, the school now has 33 students. All the students'  expenses are covered by the school.

It's hard to eliminate discrimination, even though progress has been made, Guo noted. “Some people are still against the idea of taking exams with HIV-positive students, so a special exam room has been established under my proposal and with the approval of educational departments,” he explained.

The school already has held drills to ensure the smooth operation of exams.