NOVEL NEXT Chapter 234 The Gap in Resources
Once all the parents had arrived, the parent-teacher conference started on time.
In the classroom, each desk was adorned with materials showcasing the students' recent academic achievements, including detailed transcripts, teacher comments, and personalized college planning advice.
Li Jing picked up the materials casually and couldn't help but marvel at their meticulousness.
Not to mention the appearance and design of the materials, the mere feel and quality of the paper were incomparable to the regular school printouts.
The principal began with a video call, introducing the school's overall arrangement and resource input for seniors, emphasizing the school's focus not only on academic performance but also on developing comprehensive qualities and mental health.
Next, each subject teacher took turns to display exemplary student cases and study arrangements for each subject.
What surprised Li Jing the most was the final presentation by the college guidance counselor, someone he had never seen at his school, nor had he received guidance on college pathways during high school.
From this point, one can see the disparity between ordinary schools and this school.
This college guidance counselor provided detailed interpretations of the latest trends in overseas university applications and the independent admissions policies of domestic colleges, offering specific advice tailored to different achievement levels and interest areas.
"Why didn't the guidance counselor mention anything about the entrance exam, do they want all students to take the independent admission route?"
Looking at the well-dressed female teacher on stage, Li Jing slightly turned and asked Wei Jia, puzzled.
"Entrance exam?"
Wei Jia was initially startled, not rushing to explain but rather surprised by Li Jing's question: "You don't know that students here do not take the national entrance exam?"
"Not take the entrance exam?"
It was Li Jing's turn to open his eyes wide and frown in confusion: "Then how do these students attend college?"
"Didn't that teacher explain it clearly just now?"
Realizing Li Jing indeed wasn't aware, Wei Jia thought about how to explain concisely and said:
"The students here typically do not participate in the national entrance exam; their pathways mainly involve applying to overseas universities or entering prestigious domestic universities through independent admissions."
Implied in Wei Jia's words, those ordinary universities without independent admissions wouldn't even be considered by students from this school.
In other words, as long as a student graduates from this school, they invariably end up at top universities, either domestically or internationally.
After hearing this, Li Jing, still surprised, asked again: "If they don't take the entrance exam, what courses do they study? Isn't it languages, mathematics, sciences and such?"
"Of course, not entirely so, this school has its own graduation requirements, and only upon successful graduation can they apply to colleges."
Wei Jia saw Li Jing was truly unaware, so she picked up the materials of Wei Zheming on the desk and introduced: "For example, Zhe Ming chose the IB curriculum system; while studying high school courses, he also learns IB courses.
In the IB curriculum, each subject is scored out of 7 points, and every student must select at least 3 higher-level courses, 3 standard-level courses, plus extended essays and a knowledge essay totaling up to 45 points, scoring 24 or above qualifies for a diploma.
And this IB diploma is recognized by over 4000 universities worldwide, a basis for awarding scholarships, aiding Zhe Ming in applying to world-renowned universities."
Saying this, Wei Jia put down the materials in her hand, turned to look at Wei Zheming on the other side, and asked: "I remember that 80% of your previous graduating class was admitted to the world's top 50 universities, wasn't it?"
"It's 90%."
Wei Zheming corrected Wei Jia's mistake and then smiled at Li Jing: "Brother-in-law, I have already chosen three overseas prestigious universities as my targets.
The first choice is Stanford University, with their history program ranked number one. The second is Harvard University, with their history program ranked third.
If both of these applications aren't successful, I'll go to the National University of Singapore. Our teacher said their undergraduate program in Chinese can thoroughly research the historical context of domestic literature development, which I heard is quite outstanding."
After listening to the explanations of Wei Jia and her brother, Li Jing was stunned for a while, not calming inside for a long time.
Originally thinking he understood the lives of the wealthy, he now found that the disparities and gaps in this world were even greater than he imagined.
Even though he was financially well-off now, he still only saw the tip of the iceberg regarding the resources advantage and lifestyle privileges of the wealthy.
Beyond food, clothing, usage, and shelter, the wealthy class had already opened up an unbridgeable gap in their descendants' education and life planning compared to ordinary children.
While ordinary children are still striving night and day, desperately preparing for the entrance exam, these school kids are receiving comprehensive quality training at a prestigious school and already have a global perspective and goal in mind.
This massive contrast and disparity left Li Jing speechless for a long time, his heart churning.
Perhaps because he once endured the harshness of the entrance exam, those days where he barely had time to eat or sleep were deeply etched in his memory, making the impact of this matter far more turbulent than a hundred thousand luxury items.
"Indeed, the wealthy and ordinary people live in two different worlds. The end goal for a lifetime pursued by ordinary people may never reach the starting point of the rich."
Upon hearing Li Jing's soliloquy, Wei Jia glanced at him, her gaze shifting.
Having somewhat understood Li Jing's original, less affluent background, she could also empathize with his current feelings.
Wei Jia remained silent for a moment before softly speaking, "The world is essentially a massive pyramid, inherently divided between high and low. I imagine nobody feels society's resources are distributed equally."
Upon hearing this, Li Jing laughed openly: "That's right, indeed nobody would think resource allocation is fair. It's just that ordinary people might never fathom the vast gap between themselves and the wealthy."
Thinking of this, his tone paused, then he turned to Wei Jia: "I don't want to be a savior, nor do I have the ability to change society.
But I grew up in poverty, and after coming here, honestly, I just want to contribute a little bit to helping those kids who might not even have the chance to study, providing them with a place to learn."
After saying this, Wei Jia's eyes sparkled, looking into his eyes, she seriously nodded: "I understand, I will have someone help you prepare plans and schemes, and then conduct on-site research."
"Thank you, I can cover all expenses."
After finishing, Li Jing said no more, continuing to listen to the teacher's plans and arrangements for this semester.
Meanwhile, Wei Jia quietly looked at Li Jing for a while, her gaze changing subtly, gaining more understanding of him, then she turned back to continue listening to the teacher's explanation.
Subsequently, the parent-teacher conference moved into an interactive session.
Parents actively asked questions, creating a vibrant atmosphere. Some parents were concerned about their children's stress management, with the school's psychological counselors providing expert answers on-site. Some parents inquired about linking college major choice with career planning, with teachers offering professional suggestions based on past graduates' cases.
Sitting in his seat, Li Jing was immersed in this parent-teacher conference of different social levels, recalling his mother holding parent-teacher meetings in their old, worn-out house back home, bringing a sense of contrast.
This sense of contrast made Li Jing profoundly aware of the hidden vast disparity in this world.
And now, the only thing he could think of doing was providing those children at the bottom with an opportunity to read and study.
Perhaps it was also a way to address and respond to his childhood where he studied hard day and night, as a way to console the self that once strove and fought tirelessly in numerous days and nights.