A vocational school student stuns China by besting university competitors in a math contest

By FU TING
Associated Press

A 17-year-old vocational school student from rural China has become a celebrity on Chinese social media after getting into the final round of a math competition, beating many others from elite universities while raising questions about the education system. Fashion design student Jiang Ping finished 12th in the Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition. She is one of 802 finalists in Saturday’s final round. It’s unclear how Jiang ended up in vocational school, but her story is reminding some in China of the inequality in education between rural and urban areas and how that can make it harder for even talented students to climb the economic ladder.