| “附近没有好的小学，肯定得择校。”儿子还在上幼儿园中班，家住北京市丰台区的杨海玲已在四处打听各小学的情况。 |
"We have to choose another primary school for my son because those near us are not good enough," said Yang Hailing, whose son is in the second level of kindergarten. Under the Chinese educational system, kindergarten consists of three levels and is not required. Parents usually choose a primary school before their kids enter the third level of kindergarten, so Yang is a little behind schedule. |
| “家长们一般都在孩子上大班前就选定小学了，我们不算早。大家择校的办法有好几种，买学区房最保险，但开销较大，海淀区很老的二手房也得两万多元一平方米；再就是托人，即使找到关系择校费也一分不能少；把孩子培养成特长生，又觉得孩子不应这么小就被定型。真头疼啊！” |
According to China's enrollment system, students must attend schools located in their community. If they want to attend schools elsewhere, they must pay a "school-choosing fee." In general, there are three ways to choose a school. The best way is to buy an apartment in a community that already has good schools, although this can cost a lot of money. Beijing's Haidian District, for example, has many famous schools, but the price of an apartment 20 years old costs more than 20,000 yuan (US$2,928) per square meter. Another way to choose a school is to ask an influential person to help put the student into a good school, although parents still have to pay the "school-choosing fee." The third way is to train the kid in a special skill, such as basketball, dancing or drawing, but many parents are unwilling to have the kids' future fixed so early. |
| 择校现象有多普遍？11月9日~10日，中国青年报社会调查中心通过题客调查网，对全国31个省(区、市)14081名公众进行的一项调查显示，多达98.5%的公众表示身边存在择校现象，从幼儿园到高中，择校几乎已无处不在。 |
How many people are choosing schools in China? According to a survey conducted by the Chinese Youth Daily, 98.5 percent of people have either chosen schools for their children or have seen others doing this. The survey was given to 14,081 people in 31 provinces. Choosing schools has been a common practice across the country. |
| 择校的根源：学校之间办学水平差距过大 |
School competencies vary greatly |
| 因为“小升初”没有提前准备给孩子择校，北京市海淀区的严女士至今后悔不已。 |
Ms. Yan, who lives in Beijing's Haidian District, was overcome with regret because she didn't arrange a good middle school for her son before he graduated from primary school. |
| “名牌学校也就那么几所，竞争太激烈了。孩子们大多从小学3年级就开始上各种培训班，儿子小学5年级我才听说择校没有‘证书’不行，赶紧给他报了英语培训班，但培训时间太短，考试又太难，没通过。我们后来在网上报了好几所学校，连参加考试的机会都没有，想交择校费都没地方交。” |
"Good middle schools are few in number, so the competition is fierce. Most children started to take various training courses starting in the third year of primary school," Yan said. "I didn't know results of extracurricular examinations meant so much in school admission until my son was in grade five. I applied for an English training course for him, but he failed to pass the exam. I applied for some famous middle schools, but received no response. I would be glad to pay the 'school-choosing fee,' but there is no chance." |
| 北京青年政治学院副教授任宝菊发现，北京地区一般好学校首先看各种竞赛成绩：奥数有“希望杯”、“迎春杯”；作文是“春蕾杯”；英语要通过公共英语二级，人大附中还要求“三一口语”(英国伦敦三一学院英语口语等级考试——编者注)通过7级——大学生都不一定达到的水平。还有就是至少是市级三好学生。 |
Ren Baoju, an associate professor of Beijing Youth Politics College, said that Beijing schools give first priority to students who have rankings in various competitions, such as the Olympic Math Competition, Spring Bud Writing Competition and PETS (Public English Test System). The middle school affiliated with Renmin University even requires its applicants to pass Grade 7 of GESE (Graded Examination in Spoken English of Trinity College London), an examination that fails many college students. Another way to earn credits is to become a "three good" student at the city level (an honorable title for outstanding students who display achievement in academics, morals and health). |
| “市级三好等评优的名额少，大多数孩子只有猛攻竞赛，英语培训班价格一般在1500元~5000元。”任宝菊说，“由于不少培训班可以推荐优秀生源到重点学校去，家长们已经到了少报一个班都不行的程度，交了学费，孩子上不过来，只有考试的时候硬着头皮上。 |
"Only a handful of children can be chosen as 'three good' students at the city level, so most students have to study like crazy to get outstanding results in competitions," Ren said. The price of an English training course ranges between 1,500 yuan and 5,000 yuan, and some training centers can recommend excellent students to famous middle schools. Therefore, some parents register their kids in as many training courses as possible. Sometimes, although the fees have been paid, the kids have no time to attend the classes, so the parents will just force the kids to attend the competitions. |
| “考过了，也只是有了申请资格，还得通过学校的考试，择校费是必须交的，这么不正常的现象大家好像都习以为常了。” |
However, children who do well in the competitions are guaranteed nothing, as they are only qualified to receive an application. They must then take the entrance exam of their target school. No matter the results they get, they have to pay the "school-choosing fee." This practice is well-accepted in China. |
