Since you @'d me, just figure I should let you know- I'm (sadly) not a Chinese citizen, nor have I been to the PRC, I come from a Chinese-Singaporean/Canadian family. My family on both sides is probably at least 4~ generations or more removed from living on the mainland...

For my thoughts on the gaokao though- yeah, I hear it's rough. Hopefully Chinese culture, and eastern in general, can slowly shift away from such draining, painful experiences towards something healthier and more sustainable. I suppose both of my parents must have had their own stressful experiences in the Singaporean system themselves, though likely not quite as bad as described. But this is the result of living in a nation of almost 1.5 billion, and in a world of 8 billion humans, and in a country that had to build itself up from ruins, rather than plunder and extort its wealth and land from other peoples- as you noted, this is the case in most of the world- and while culturally it would be better if a more holistic approach were taken, this is the world system we live in. I do hope China reforms the system though, personally I'd thought they had begun some slow reforms already.

As the other person you @'d said though- I agree with them, this person sounds like they have a absolute nonsense idea of western education and culture in general.