com Gaokao to Knowhow.docVIP

com Gaokao to Knowhow 　　CHINAS rise from impoverishednation to economic power-house over the last 3o years hasstunned the world. Equally stun-ning has been the rapid growth of scien-tific research in the worlds most populouscountry. Climate change, energy deficit, anincreasing population and food shortagesare problems facing China as well as therest of the world. The countrys scientificexpertise will make it an important worldplayer in solving these problems. 　　But there is another problem. To equiptodays students with the skills they needto become the inventors, conservationistsand researchers of tomorrow. It is vitalthat they receive a new type of scienceeducation. 　　 　　Shanghai Students Top Scorers 　　 　　Chinese students are well known fortheir dedication to study, a quality re-fleeted in recent international test results.Shanghai students blitzed the field in themost recent OECD Programme for Inter-national Student Assessment, topping allthree categories of reading, mathematicsand science. 　　As a comparison, American studentsranked 98th for mathematics, 23rd for sci-ence, and 15th for reading. The UK didntfare much better, coming in at 22nd formathematics, 16th for science and 25th inreading. 　　After the release of the OECDs find-ings, Stuart Kerachsky, head of the U.S.National Center for Education Statistics,told Science magazines Insiders sectionthat Shanghai is an educational Mecca. 　　Some U.S. politicians and educatorswere so concerned about the results fromthis test that they likened them to a Sput-nik moment, referring to Russias launchof the worlds first space satellite in 1957.That event ratted the U.S. and spurredan increase in spending on science andmathematics education in an effort to winthe space race. 　　 　　Are Test Results All-important? 　　 　　At least part of the reason for Shang-hai students high scores is the Chineseeducation systems focus on the gaokao,the annual national examination taken bystudents in their final year of senior