{
  "id": 2713735,
  "title": "Gaokao reforms could leave Chinese public vulnerable to pseudo-history, top academic warns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/gaokao-reforms-could-leave-chinese-public-vulnerable-to-pseudo-2713735",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T04:00:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364926/gaokao-reforms-could-leave-chinese-public-vulnerable-pseudo-history-top-academic-warns"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A senior academic at a prestigious Chinese university has warned that the diminishing presence of history in secondary school curricula could leave the public more susceptible to distorted historical narratives in the future. Liu Linhai, the dean of the school of history at Beijing Normal University, highlighted the importance of history education in preserving cultural and national identity, expressing concern that its weakening and marginalization should be a serious issue for policymakers.\n\nRecent reforms to China's highly competitive college entrance examination, known as the gaokao, have caused a structural disruption in secondary education, placing greater pressure on history education. Since 2014, reforms have transformed the exam by moving away from a traditional science-humanities divide and allowing students greater flexibility to choose subjects based on their interests. However, despite the theoretical freedom to choose subjects, students' choices are often constrained by the requirements of the high school entrance exam and university admission criteria.\n\nAs a result, the proportion of students selecting history has sharply declined in most provinces, leading to a reduction in classroom hours for history teachers. Some middle-school history teachers have been forced to teach other subjects or leave the profession altogether due to declining student numbers and reduced workloads. Consequently, the weight given to history in the high school entrance exam has diminished, with some provinces even excluding it entirely, potentially diminishing students' motivation to pursue the subject.\n\nAs the internet, social media, and artificial intelligence transform the dissemination of historical knowledge, Liu Linhai emphasized the critical role of a solid foundation in history education. He stressed that policymakers should address the structural pressures affecting history education to ensure its role in strengthening national and ethnic identity and safeguarding national security.",
  "summary": "China’s secondary school students are dropping history as an exam subject, a trend that could leave the public more vulnerable to distorted narratives in the future, an academic at a top university has warned. The note of caution comes as Beijing steps up efforts to counter “historical nihilism” – the official term for narratives that contradict or undermine the state’s official historical line –…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
        "title": "Gaokao reforms could leave Chinese public vulnerable to pseudo-history, top academic warns",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/gaokao-reforms-could-leave-chinese-public-vulnerable-to-pseudo",
        "published": "2026-08-23T04:00:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}