Students won't pay to find out exam grades

[VIA China View]

Shanghai Education authorities have banned any mobile company from ‘sucking’ money to inform students via sms about their marks on the national college entrance examination. Apparently, many parents complained about this practice.

In the 1990s, the examination authority teamed up with local telecom operators to set up paid inquiry hot lines, which allow examinees to get their marks one day before the results will arrive in the post. The service costs 2 yuan (24 US cents) per minute, and an inquiry normally takes two or three minutes.

Last year, the exam authority also allowed students to get their marks by SMS for 4 yuan. Anyway, the tariffs are off already, and students who can't wait for marks to arrive by mail will still be able to use the phone and SMS services this year, without, err, any charge.