<p>Beijing on Monday banned written exams for six- and seven-year-olds, as part of sweeping education reforms aimed at relieving pressure on pupils and parents in China's hyper-competitive school system.</p>.<p>China's exam-oriented system previously required students to take exams from first grade onwards, culminating in the feared university entrance exam at age 18 known as the gaokao, where a single score can determine a child's life trajectory.</p>.<p>"Too frequent exams ... which cause students to be overburdened and under huge exam pressure," have been axed by the Ministry of Education, according to new guidelines released Monday.</p>.<p>The ministry said the pressure on pupils from a young age "harms their mental and physical health."</p>.<p><strong><a href="http://deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/chinese-social-media-platforms-to-rectify-financial-self-media-accounts-1024485.html" target="_blank">Read | Chinese social media platforms to 'rectify' financial self-media accounts</a></strong></p>.<p>The regulations also limit exams in other years of compulsory education to once a term, with mid-term and mock examinations allowed in junior high school.</p>.<p>The measures are part of wider government reforms of China's education sector, which include a crackdown on cram schools -- seen by parents as a way to inflate their children's educational fortunes.</p>.<p>In late July, China ordered all private tutoring firms to turn non-profit, and barred tutoring agencies from giving lessons in core subjects at weekends and holidays, effectively crippling a $100 billion sector.</p>.<p>The aim is to reduce China's education inequality, where some middle-class parents willingly fork out 100,000 yuan ($15,400) or more per year on private tutoring to get their children into top schools.</p>.<p>Many also snag property in schools' catchment areas, driving up house prices.</p>.<p>"There is no other country that has such a strong tutoring culture (as China)," said Claudia Wang, partner and Asia education lead at Shanghai-based consulting firm Oliver Wyman.</p>.<p>With population growth at its slowest in decades, Chinese authorities lifted a two-child birth limit earlier this year and wish to increase incentives for parents to have more children.</p>.<p>Beijing city authorities last week announced that teachers must rotate schools every six years, to prevent a concentration of top talent at some schools. Education officials on Monday reiterated a ban on schools setting up "priority" classes for gifted students.</p>.<p>The Ministry of Education also banned written homework for first- and second-graders earlier this year, and limited homework for junior high students to no more than 1.5 hours per night.</p>.<p>However, many Chinese parents still regard education as a path to social mobility.</p>.<p>The gaokao is one of the few ways that poor, rural students can access better educational opportunities and job prospects at top universities.</p>
<p>Beijing on Monday banned written exams for six- and seven-year-olds, as part of sweeping education reforms aimed at relieving pressure on pupils and parents in China's hyper-competitive school system.</p>.<p>China's exam-oriented system previously required students to take exams from first grade onwards, culminating in the feared university entrance exam at age 18 known as the gaokao, where a single score can determine a child's life trajectory.</p>.<p>"Too frequent exams ... which cause students to be overburdened and under huge exam pressure," have been axed by the Ministry of Education, according to new guidelines released Monday.</p>.<p>The ministry said the pressure on pupils from a young age "harms their mental and physical health."</p>.<p><strong><a href="http://deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/chinese-social-media-platforms-to-rectify-financial-self-media-accounts-1024485.html" target="_blank">Read | Chinese social media platforms to 'rectify' financial self-media accounts</a></strong></p>.<p>The regulations also limit exams in other years of compulsory education to once a term, with mid-term and mock examinations allowed in junior high school.</p>.<p>The measures are part of wider government reforms of China's education sector, which include a crackdown on cram schools -- seen by parents as a way to inflate their children's educational fortunes.</p>.<p>In late July, China ordered all private tutoring firms to turn non-profit, and barred tutoring agencies from giving lessons in core subjects at weekends and holidays, effectively crippling a $100 billion sector.</p>.<p>The aim is to reduce China's education inequality, where some middle-class parents willingly fork out 100,000 yuan ($15,400) or more per year on private tutoring to get their children into top schools.</p>.<p>Many also snag property in schools' catchment areas, driving up house prices.</p>.<p>"There is no other country that has such a strong tutoring culture (as China)," said Claudia Wang, partner and Asia education lead at Shanghai-based consulting firm Oliver Wyman.</p>.<p>With population growth at its slowest in decades, Chinese authorities lifted a two-child birth limit earlier this year and wish to increase incentives for parents to have more children.</p>.<p>Beijing city authorities last week announced that teachers must rotate schools every six years, to prevent a concentration of top talent at some schools. Education officials on Monday reiterated a ban on schools setting up "priority" classes for gifted students.</p>.<p>The Ministry of Education also banned written homework for first- and second-graders earlier this year, and limited homework for junior high students to no more than 1.5 hours per night.</p>.<p>However, many Chinese parents still regard education as a path to social mobility.</p>.<p>The gaokao is one of the few ways that poor, rural students can access better educational opportunities and job prospects at top universities.</p>