This paper examines the relationship between the National College Entrance Examinations (NCEE) and political centralism in China's higher education. A brief history of the NCEE system is provided; its purposes, the characteristics of its administration, its influence on secondary and elementary education, its strengths and limitations, and its future are then discussed. Recognition is made of the ways this system has served the political needs of both commoners and the power class and has contributed to the continuity of political centralism in contemporary China. By way of conclusion, necessary reforms facilitating enhanced efficiency, greater access, and universal literacy are suggested.
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