China's Wang Yanxia, 32, was surprised to discover that her high school admission letter from 17 years ago had been hidden by her father, forcing her to drop out of school.
Wang found the letter at her parents’ house while sorting through childhood photos. A former national runner with a promising career, she aspired to major in sports at her dream high school, but did not receive an acceptance letter. Thinking she had been rejected, Wang gave up on her dream, dropped out of school after ninth grade, and became a factory worker.
So when he saw the letter, Wang was stunned, his mind blank.
According to the letter, Wang was admitted to the No. 3 Middle School in Qingzhou, Shandong Province, in 2006, majoring in sports. Another document Wang found said her family would have to pay 7,800 yuan ($1,070) in tuition and a school selection fee.
Wang went to his father to ask why he had hidden the letter. His father looked embarrassed. "There's no use telling you. I don't have enough money to pay," he explained.
Wang's husband, who has known her since middle school, said his wife's parents are both disabled and do not have even 10,000 yuan in savings.
Wang said she understood her family's financial situation at the time, but was still "heartbroken" that her father had not told her the truth. For Wang, not being able to attend her dream school is her biggest regret in life.
Wang's video received more than 5 million views on social media platform Douyin alone, sparking heated debate about sexism and patriarchy in China.
"She can give up on her own, but her father cannot take away his child's right to choose. What he is hiding is not only the admission letter but also the child's future," wrote one person on social media Weibo.
"That's so ignorant. Education is pretty much the only path a normal person has to success. She could have applied for a grant," said another.
But some people sympathized: "I can understand the father. If he was really that selfish, he would have thrown away the admission letter instead of keeping it."
Some people also noticed the detail that Wang has a younger brother. Although Wang did not reveal his brother's educational background, many people saw her story as an example of China's traditional preference for sons over daughters.
According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2023, China has one of the most skewed sex ratios at birth, currently at 0.89, or 100 males for every 89 females.
Reports of young girls being forced by their parents to pay for their brother’s education and living expenses are not uncommon in the country. Many less-educated parents still prefer sons, believing that they are the ones who will carry on the family line.
Khanh Linh (According to SCMP)
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