China's national college entrance examination, known as the gaokao, kicked off on Friday with 13.42 million registered examinees, up 510,000 from last year. This milestone marks the largest-ever gaokao, according to figures released by the Ministry of Education.
To accommodate the unprecedented number of candidates, local authorities have bolstered support services, providing assistance with transportation, accommodation, medical care, and noise control throughout the examination period.
In an effort to promote inclusivity, more than 11,000 students with disabilities nationwide have received special assistance to ensure their access and participation in the examination. Notably, 15 visually impaired candidates across 11 provincial-level regions, including Jiangsu Province in east China and the Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China, were provided with Braille exam papers.
This initiative continues its successful run, marking the 11th consecutive year since 2014 that the education authorities have supplied Braille papers for visually impaired candidates in the gaokao. This support has enabled around 80 visually impaired students to gain admission to prestigious universities such as Shanghai Normal University and Beijing Jiaotong University.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
