HUANGGANG Middle School in Central China's Hubei province, which used to be known for its students' outstanding performance in the national college entrance exam, has failed to provide the province a top scorer in the exam for the past 17 years. Comments:

It is not unexpected that the Huanggang Middle School went on an educational downward trend, because exam-oriented education in the country has already proved outdated and badly needs reforming. The advantaged schools in major cities have attracted an increasing number of talented teachers and students across the country, further marginalizing their counterparts in less developed areas, including Huanggang Middle School. Therefore, it may be the widening gap between school's educational resources that has led to Huanggang's loss of magic.

Si Hanhan, a guest commentator with eastday.com, April 7