China's education authority will tighten the widely criticized policy of "extra credits" for the national college entrance examination in a major effort to ensure a fairer chance for all exam-takers.

Under the policy of "extra credits", high school students who win awards in national Olympic competitions in math, physics, chemistry and biology could get "extra credits" up to 20 points for the national college entrance exam.

Students with talent in sports and students who are from ethnic groups can also benefit from this policy.

The extra credits have increased these students' chances of being enrolled by prestige universities. Some parents were found to have helped their children fabricate award experiences or falsify qualifications to get extra credits.

"It has harmed education equity," the ministry said.

Xiong Bingqi, vice-chief of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said the "extra credits" policy is designed to help students who have special talents but may be weak in academic performance to have a chance to receive higher education.

"It will still be needed but it is time to make the rules fairer," he said.

On Friday, the ministry said it will reduce the range of competitions whose winners can get extra credits, and limit the award winners' privileges at the national college entrance exam.

The new policy will apply to students who begin high school next year, it said.

Chen Lei, a mother of a 10-year-old girl, said she welcomed the ministry's policy adjustment as she does not want her daughter to become an Olympic competition geek.

But not all the Chinese parents welcomed the new policy.

"It is like a thunderbolt for me. My 13-year-old son has spent so much time studying Olympic math, and participated in so many technological competitions during vacations. It is useless now," said Dong Wen, a 43-year-old mother.

The country's college enrollment mechanism has been under fire for years, as arguments continue on whether it is the best way to decide who will be enrolled at colleges.

The mechanism has been blamed for leaving behind distinguished rural students, due to the unbalanced distribution of educational resources. The gap in resources has made it difficult for rural students to obtain good enough results to gain admission to many universities, experts said.

Recently, 11 Peking University professors stated in a letter to Zhou Qifeng, president of the university, that "a student's high score does not decide everything", and applicants to the university need to prove themselves in other ways, including "motivation, high school performance, creativity, social responsibility and other comprehensive qualities".

Zhou agreed to consider combining the exam with a face-to-face interview, and asked the university's faculty and students to give advice on the reform.

Yuan Guiren, minister of education, told China Daily that the reform is an attempt to consider the overall quality of an applicant. "But the country will not stop the national college entrance examination as it is still the most objective way to evaluate talent in China," he said.

(China Daily November 20, 2010)