Among the millions of people who will take the nation’s next round
of college equivalency tests in April, there is a small group of
people for whom the test has special significance.
The people in this group, all of them men, will be wearing
identical clothing and haircuts on the day of the test, and they
will all take the test at desks located behind the high walls of
the Beijing No. 2 Prison.
According to Niu Guoqing, chief of the prison’s educational
department, nearly 300 inmates are now busy preparing for the
twice-yearly test.
“We have seen a steady increase in the number of inmates taking the
tests in recent years and this year’s figure sets a new record,”
Niu revealed with pride.
Niu, also vice-director of the prison’s Xinlu Training School, has
every reason to be proud. Since 1993, when inmates started sitting
for the national test, nearly 650 of Beijing No. 2 Prison’s inmates
have taken it and more than 1,040 certificates have been awarded.
Twenty inmates have passed all the necessary tests to graduate from
junior college.
But the road to success for these unique students is not an easy
one. “I’ve spent my two hours of leisure time every day and entire
weekends preparing for the test,” said one inmate, surnamed Zhang.
“With other inmates playing cards, chatting or watching TV nearby,
it’s really a test of will.”
Zhang, sentenced to life imprisonment for robbery, has already
passed eight courses in law. Law courses are a hit with residents
of the Beijing prison, with some 45 percent of the test-takers
concentrating on legal subjects.
It
seems ironic that law-breakers would be so interested in studying
the subject. But on closer inspection it makes sense.
“I
started out wanting to find out what law I had broken,” an inmate
surnamed Wang explained. “After all these years, I have broadened
my scope and improved my analytical ability.”
But knowledge is not the only reward. Inmates who succeed with the
tests also win respect from their fellow inmates.
“Other inmates often come to me to ask my opinion on legal disputes
related to their relatives and friends,” Zhang said.
The prisoner’s right to learn behind bars is provided for by
China’s Prison Law and by the Education Law. Courses usually
offered to the inmates include ethics, basic legal knowledge and
Chinese. Inmates are also taught skills which may help them embark
on a new life after getting out of prison.
According to Bi Heping, who is responsible for the education of
inmates in the Beijing No. 2 Prison, the prison has 15 full-time
teachers. Well-educated inmates with teaching experience are also
invited to teach their fellow inmates.
The prison has even invited university teachers to tutor test
candidates. Since late 1997, inmates who passed the tests have been
eligible to earn additional credits which could lead to reductions
in their sentences. This has provided inmates with an extra
incentive they might not have otherwise.
“The equivalency tests meet the inmates’ desire to improve
themselves,” Bi explained. “Many have regained hope and confidence
in the process.”
(China Daily 04/02/2001)