University admission

The University of Cambridge confirmed that it would accept students based on gaokao test results in a post on the University’s official Weibo account on Monday.

Previously, Chinese students would have to take standardized college admission tests, such as the SAT and ACT used in U.S. schools. However, to take these examinations in China is costly, and means only the rich families had the opportunity to send their children to study overseas. The Economist last year reported that the University of Cambridge also belonged to the list of universities starting to accept the gaokao, China’s university entrance exam, and after a myriad of emails asking for confirmation recently, the university took to Weibo and its website to issue a statement verifying the decision.

Chemical plant blast

The death toll from an explosion in a chemical plant in East China’s Jiangsu Province had risen to 78 as of Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Rescue workers discovered 14 more bodies after searching in 20 companies within an area of 2 square kilometers surrounding the blast site, raising the total death toll to 78, Cao Lubao, mayor of Yancheng, said at a press conference.

Dining with students

China has introduced a new regulation, requiring school officials from kindergarten to high school to accompany students for each school meal as a way of ensuring food safety.

The mechanism will be established in a bid to spot problems and safety hazards and address them in a timely manner, according to the regulation issued by the Ministry of Education and the National Health Commission. Under the new regulation, parents will also be invited as supervisors to offer suggestions on food safety and nutrition improvement.

Kids’ sleep

Nearly 63 percent of Chinese children and adolescents* aged 6 to 17 years old sleep less than eight hours per day, according to a white paper recently released by Chinese Sleep Research Society.

Some 81.2 percent of teenagers aged 13 to 17 years and 32.2 percent of children aged 6 to 12 years sleep less than 8 hours, said the white paper based on a survey of adolescents’ sleep in 2019. (SD-Agencies)