Shi Jun, a 44 year old father of two boys in Changsha county with a working span of more than 20 years, has recently become famous in his firm for registering for the highly competitive national college entrance examination, to compete with students under 20.

Born into an ordinary family of workers, Shi was eager to attend senior high school and pass the college entrance examination. Nevertheless, he accepted his parents' advice to enter a technical secondary school with the purpose of starting work earlier and lightening the financial burden of his family.

His dream to be involved in the college entrance examination, however, never disappeared. In 2001, any age restriction was cancelled by the State Educational Ministry, which meant he was qualified to compete.

His dream does not fully account for his decision to challenge the college entrance examination.

Shi Jun shows his admission ticket for the College Entrance Examination. [Photo / csxrmt.com]

Working in the Changsha National Economic and Technical Development Zone, Shi has every opportunity to communicate with successful enterprises. Recently, with many world top 500 companies locating there, Shi began to anticipate becoming knowledgeable about precision instruments and professional management.

Another reason for his unusual decision is his job. Every year on the examination day, Shi and his fellow workers survey all the exam sites, checking the electricity system to ensure critical power supply. Shi is always touched by the embraces between parents and their children after the test.

For the above reasons, Shi, unfamiliar with many of the subjects taught in senior high school, has studied hard on his own in his spare time. At the beginning of 2016, after hearing his decision, his sons, Grade 11 students in Changsha Foreign Language Senior High School, were surprised but supportive.

Shi, with his affection for literature, chose to participate in the liberal arts examination, but he is weak in mathematics and English. He turned to his sons and school teachers when he was unable to work out the problems. When his sons return home from their boarding school, Shi talks with them about their studies. Consequently, the two sons have now become their father's teacher.

Shi's hard work is inspiring to his two sons, who will take the exam next year. Communication between father and sons has increasingly improved, as has their relationship.

When it comes to the result of this examination, Shi believes it is the process and positive attitude but not the result that counts. He doesn't think much about his age, and values learning for its own sake.

The Chinese college entrance examinations, or better known in China as 'gaokao', will take place on June 7 to 9.