The country’s top education authority has issued a notice on banning publicity of top scorers in gaokao, or national college entrance examination, about one month before high school students sit in the test.

The Ministry of Education recently published the notice on its official website, adding that any violators would be punished severely. It’s the first time that the ministry has taken such a tough stance although it has announced similar bans for many years.

It is strictly prohibited to give publicity to gaokao top scorers and those who do so will be dealt with seriously, Chen Baosheng, minister of education, said at a recent top-level conference focusing on work arrangement of 2018 gaokao and enrollment.

Various parties take part in the massive hype of top scorers, which is mainly driven by the pursuit of money and fame. The schools advertise the top scorers to boost their name and solicit excellent students. The media trumpet their stories to seize attention. The businesses and the top scorers take advantage to gain economic benefit and reputation. Sometimes, the teacher and parents also play a role.

The hype has misled public view on education, reinforced the idea of exam-oriented education and worsened the social environment for education reform and development, said Wang Kai, an official from Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences.

He added that people should take the ban as an opportunity to set education free from the shackles of money and fame and return it to its original goal of nurturing students.