A father and son in China who took the national university entrance exams together and were accepted by their institutions of choice have wowed many people online.
Liu Aohan, 18, made his family proud when he was accepted into the Future Aerospace Leadership Programme at Beihang University in Beijing, one of the world’s best universities for aerospace engineering.
He scored 625 out of 750 points, and ranked 64 in the science track of gaokao – China’s key university entrance examination – in northwestern China’s Qinghai province.
His father Liu Jianbo, 47, also took the gaokao in the same year.
He scored 454 out of 750 in the arts track, and was accepted to take a business management major at Guangxi Normal University, in southern China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
Liu senior began studying with his son when he was in Year 2 of secondary school.
Liu junior had become distracted by games and his grades suffered as a result, so his father gave him a beating, but soon regretted his actions.
He decided to become his son’s study companion to set a good example.
His decision coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic when schooling was done online, so the pair were able to study together at home when Liu senior was not at work.
The younger Liu became the top student in his class from then on.
“My dad is my role model. His study attitude was better than mine,” he said.
What began as a way to encourage his son, soon inspired Liu senior to study for himself.
A management-level member of staff at the local railway, Liu senior said he had long dreamed of going to university, but his family could not afford it.
Despite ranking top in his prefecture in the high school entrance exams, he went to a vocational school instead, and worked right after graduation to financially support his family.
Liu senior said he was better at Chinese while his son was better at mathematics, and they helped each other to improve their grades.
He said he was more proud of his son’s achievements than his own.
Liu’s work in a so-called iron rice bowl job at a state-owned enterprise is considered to be steady with good social benefits. He struggled with his reality while harbouring his dream.
He applied for furlough but this was rejected by his company. Liu senior said he would ask for the university’s permission to study in his spare time.
Liu told Hongxing News that, as a father, his first job was to financially support his son’s studies.
He said he might give up this opportunity, but not his dream. He would consider taking another gaokao next year, or after he retires. He also plans to take a master’s degree.
“There are so many things I need to learn. It is not yet the time to ‘lie flat’,” he said.
