Unlike tests in other countries like the UK and US, the Gaokao is not designed to promote useful skills in students like creativity, critical thinking, or problem solving.

I think anyone who's ever taken the SAT and (I presume) the A-levels went "wait, what the fuck?" When they heard the above. No standardized test is capable of increasing your creativity or critical thinking, and the only problem you solve is how to get good marks on the test. The video author clearly has an unjustifiably rosy view of the West which borders on standard lib shit.

The rest of the video raises some okay points like the uneven distribution of education resources, long hours, and social pressure. The first two are things that the government is taking steps to combat by providing better access to schools to rural populations, and China recently cracked down on the after school tutoring industry, practically gutting it, to make it more fair for all students and to ensure that they get time off.

Unfortunately, most of the problems arise out of a limited number of spots at desirable universities and intense competition between millions of students. Even if you create a completely fair and equitable system based on merit, the people who get in are still going to be the smartest people who work the hardest.

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.