China | Skip, skip, scandal

Why skipping ropes are so expensive in China

A new reason for parents to be angry with the education system

Students skip at the playground of a primary school in Haian, a city in China.
Jump fast, your future depends on itPhotograph: Getty Images
|BEIJING

Skipping rope is a big deal in China. Children must be good at it to become eligible for scholarships. Most provinces include skipping tests (measuring skips per minute) in their versions of the high-school entrance exam, known as the zhongkao. In the south-western province of Yunnan, for example, elite skippers can score 11 points on the exam, where the maximum total is 700.

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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Skip, skip, scandal”

From the January 27th 2024 edition

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