The Practice And Exploration Of Provincial Paper-setting For University Entrance Examination

In China, there is a serious conflict between the emphasis on education in cultural tradition, the stress on educational record and the shortage of education resources. As a result, the competition in National University Entrance Examination (NUEE) is becoming increasingly severe. NUEE's original purpose of selecting freshmen for general colleges and universities has branched out multiple functions mark by education and society. This, of course, has posed huge impact upon various aspects of Chinese society. Since the restoration of NUEE in 1977, its uniformity has yielded a series of achievements. Meanwhile, its negative effects have been gradually exposed as well. Naturally people's call for reform in the paper-setting of NUEE has become keener and keener with each passing day. As NUEE is concerned with the future of our whole nation and the destiny of common people, it makes the reform complex and difficult. What is required for us is to adopt scientific and reliable approach in any reform of NCEE. Fortunately, the state authorized 11 provinces to have their own right in setting University Entrance Examination (UEE) paper from 2004 on. Now how to ensure the smoothness of the program of provincial paper-setting for UEE so that the original intention can be fulfilled has become a topic highly worthy of our attention.This paper is summarized as follows: firstly, it begins with the motivation for the program of provincial paper-setting of UEE, explaining the point of departure of the paper. Then it will make an analysis of the nature of NUEE and the features of the provincial paper-setting of UEE, thus stating the general principles for provincial paper-setting of UEE, all of which is considered as the foundation of the paper. Next it will come to the practice of paper-setting for UEE of our province (Hunan Province), making a deep exploration of the topic from the perspectives of organization, management and disciplinary requirements of the paper-setting. Finally, it will make some suggestions for how to improve the operation in this field.The provincial paper-setting program has met the need of public higher education, quality education of middle school, self-reform in NUEE and dismissal of risks in the organization of NCEE, thus matching the present situation of education development. Though provincial paper-setting has not changed the universality of UEE and it has preserved the properties of being standardized, predictive, conclusive, on a large scale, and selective on the basis of norm-reference, as the essential work of the quality-guaranteed system in NUEE, the authorization of the paper-setting right and the change of the content will bring about profound change to the NUEE. This explains the reason why the new round of reform in NUEE treated reform of content as the focal and difficult point.As far as we are concerned, the paper-setting in UEE (Hunan) has adhered to four principles:1. emphasis on the function of selection of UEE;2. stress on the direction and guidance of UEE towards the basic education in middle school;3. development step by step, shaping the style of Hunan paper-setting of UEE gradually;4. attaching importance to humanity. Autonomous paper-setting must properly deal with the relationship of being common and individual, preserving the old while taking initiatives and promoting the advantages while avoiding weaknesses. In regards to this, we made great efforts in the whole work of paper-setting, such as arrangement of subjects, establishment of the institution for paper-setting organizing and management, panel of teachers for paper-setting, construction of principles for paper-setting, research prior to the paper-setting, the paper-setting and examination of the paper during the isolation of the paper-setting personnel, the trial-examination of the paper, and the secret-keeping work of the paper-setting. If we work to make systemic summary and research in all these aspects, it will promote the paper-setting of our province to develop in a scientific, unbiased and regularized direction.The paper focuses its attention on the study of paper-setting from a scientific perspective. It elaborates various factors which may influence the paper-setting, such as the basic principles and requirements of various disciplines, the overall guideline, the important points to be examined, the structure of the examination paper, the requirement of selection of materials, and the thoughts of organizing papers. The paper also attaches importance to how the UEE papers of Hunan is different from those of other provinces, making analysis concerning why and how the change is made, and what the effects resulted from the changes are. Additionally, the paper also makes evaluation and analysis of the UEE papers (Hunan) qualitatively and quantitatively, thus making suggestions for scientific improvement in the future.Finally, the paper concludes with seven ideas on how to perfect and optimize the paper-setting work of Hunan for the CEE presently and in the future.