National Exams in Asia
When I was going through school in Asia, there were 3 national examinations at the end of elementary, middle, and high school that decided how a good a school you were eligible to attend next. As education was the top priority among parents, these examinations were national obsessions. I never did very well in these national examinations until right at the last one, the equivalent of the college entrance exams, when I managed to eke out something respectable. Reading this wsj article on college entrance exams in Korea just made me realise how much more seriously the Koreans take it than I ever did ...1) "Many offices and the stock market open at 10 a.m., an hour later than usual, to keep the roads free for students on their way to the test."
2) "And while students are taking the listening portions of the tests, planes can't land or take off at the nation's airports. Aircraft arriving from other countries are ordered to circle at altitudes above 10,000 feet."
3) "Some temples -- and Christian churches -- invited parents to daily prayer sessions beginning in August, 100 days before the test. Parents who participate buy a special prayer book on which they glue a photo of their young scholar."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122644964013219173.html
