In many school systems, one examination decides a student's next ten years.
The explain the industry that has grown around it.
Evening classes, private tutors and papers are now routine.
Families who cannot afford them feel the gap widen.
Teachers report that pupils arrive rather than curious.
Some schools have cut homework to protect sleep.
Others argue that reducing pressure simply moves it elsewhere.
has been proposed as an alternative.
would come from work across three years, not one morning.
Critics reply that continuous assessment favours organised families.
It also gives teachers far more marking to do.
No system removes the underlying problem, which is of places.