Sandra Teh meets an education expert and a mother to discuss the Chinese education system, dilemmas and difficulties parents and students face, and reforms of the examination system.

Now when holidays come around for Chinese students it doesn't mean the books are put away. Anxious parents and teachers organize homework and holiday study for students to give them an edge in China's super competitive education system.

The highly competitive nature of China's education system means just doing schoolwork is not enough if you want to succeed. And teachers are under pressure too. They're graded on how well their pupils do in exams to enter prestigious middle schools, high schools and colleges

Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao last week promised to reform the country's controversial household registration system, known here as the 'hukou'.
The system's modern incarnation has been in place since 1958 and affects the lives of hundreds of millions of Chinese, from the jobs they get to the schools they can send their kids to. Tom Mackenzie takes a look at what the hukou means for people here, and why there is a clamoring call for change.

Obama passed healthcare but the battle continues to pide the nation over whether or not it will actually change the battered system. While China is able to provide many health services, such as the H1N1 vaccine free of charge for its huge population, it’s also facing woes on how to fund the system. BON’s Susan Tart has the horrorific story of one young man who was dumped on the streets by hospital directors.

We heard last week here on BON News that more than 170 karaoke, or KTV, bars in Chongqing in southwestern China have installed a new supervision system, which flags up supposedly vulgar content.
Once customers choose what is deemed to be vulgar, the system notifies authorities.

The new system allows karaoke clubs to run video and subtitle advertisements, and has even been used to promote lotteries.

It's raised some concerns among Chinese internet users – both on charges of entrapment and of profiteering – though the Ministry of Culture has rejected accusations it will profit from the system. Let's join BON's Kevin Jia in the newsroom to get the latest on this controversy.

Sandra Teh meets foreign education NGO experts to discover their role, the situation rural kids face, and how local government partnerships assist in educating millions in China.

Sandra Teh meets foreign education NGO experts to discover their role, the situation rural kids face, and how local government partnerships assist in educating millions in China.