Page 66 - EW August 2025

International News

an increase from the current 20-hour limit. In-study work
rights will also be extended to all tertiary students in ap-
proved exchange or study abroad programmes, including
those enrolled for just one semester.
According to ENZ chief executive Amanda Malu the lat-
est figures reflect a strong recovery. “This rebound shows
we’re on the right track. With the new growth plan in place,
we’re focused on maintaining quality while expanding our
reach,” says Malu.

ASIA
High socio-economic cost

IGARETTE BUTTS, SPECTACLE LENSES AND
CAR tyres. Which of those items contain plastic? Chinese students writing civil service exam
CPapaya, pineapple, guava. How many of those fruits
were brought to India by the Portuguese? In June around 9, in the latest high-profile example of bureaucratic graft,
half a million Indians sat down to answer such questions, a young Indian civil servant in the eastern state of Odisha
which were eclectic, but high-stakes. They were posed in was accused of accepting a bribe of Rs.10 lakh ($11,683)
the exam to join India’s civil service. from a businessman. (He has been suspended, but denies
For those who passed by correctly answering ques- wrongdoing.)
tions like those above (all three items contain plastic, and In both countries efforts are being made to recruit peo-
all three fruits were brought over by the Portuguese), it ple in other ways. China is experimenting with hiring some
is merely the first and easiest step in a long and arduous candidates for fixed terms according to their experience,
process. Up next are nine more papers to be taken over 27 rather than their exam performance. Similarly, India has
hours from August onwards, covering a range of subjects introduced a “lateral-entry” scheme to allow private-sector
and even more obscure questions. specialists to join the public workforce. But these remain
India’s selection process is so gruelling because a role in nascent initiatives. Exams are still the backbone of public-
the civil service is highly coveted. Even as India’s private sector recruitment.
sector has grown, government jobs remain a ticket to pros- If the merits of this selection process are debatable, the
perity, prestige and better marriage prospects. Last year 1.1 costs — both human and economic — are more visible. Suc-
million people applied to join the top tier of the civil service, cess in both exams requires immense toil. Many of those
but around 1,000 (0.2 percent of those who actually sat the examined do not work in the years leading up to the test;
first exam) were offered a spot. those holding down jobs study early mornings or late at
India’s civil services exams are even more competitive night. Thousands seek the help of coaching centres; the best
than in China, where, amid a slowing economy, a growing schools offer full-time training and board.
number of people are turning to the public sector. Last year Years of youth spent in study, instead of work, are an
a record 3.4 million Chinese registered and passed the ini- economic loss. The exams force college graduates to delay
tial screening for the national civil-service exam — well over employment, reducing their long-term consumption. And
twice the number who did so in 2014. Just over 39,700 (1.5 the subjects so feverishly swotted are not necessarily of use
percent of those who sat the exam) secured a job. once the exams are over. Knowing the history of fruits or the
In both countries the exams are considered the fairest details of Xi Jinping Thought might help candidates earn
way to filter candidates. But despite the exams’ meritocratic a civil-service job and all the perks it brings — but perhaps
intentions, critics in both countries believe they filter can- not a place in the private sector
didates according to wrong criteria. By screening for rote
learning and test-taking, they neglect to assess actual pub- VIETNAM
lic-policy skills such as management, teamwork and com- Study abroad fever
munication. In China the process increasingly also features
questions to test familiarity with Xi Jinping Thought, the STUDENTS FROM VIETNAM ARE STUDYING
ideology of the leader. abroad in increasingly large numbers and may
All this contributes to the middling performance of both help “stabilise” enrolments in the “big four” study
bureaucracies. On a measure of government effectiveness destinations, according to a new report. The South-east
calculated by the World Bank, China and India rank in the Asian country has emerged as one of the most resilient and
74th and 68th percentiles globally. Nor do the exams help fast-growing contributors to enrolments worldwide, says an
eliminate corruption, another common scourge. On June ApplyBoard analysis.

66 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2025