Jiang Ping, a fashion design student from a rural town in Jiangsu Province, made headlines in June when she placed twelfth in the qualifying rounds of an international math competition organized by the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
Chinese media reported that she was the first finalist from a modest vocational school since the competition began in 2018, while the vast majority of the 800 finalists came from prestigious universities.
Jiang’s results sparked widespread attention, and she was instantly labeled a “miracle” in the press and on social media.
In a rigorous educational system like China’s, where academic excellence is celebrated, Jiang’s achievements inspired many online, who saw her as proof that students from vocational schools could still excel academically.
However, suspicions about Jiang’s abilities increased after the competition organizers announced last Sunday that she violated the rules during the preliminary round by receiving assistance from her teacher, who was also participating in the same contest.
The organizers stated, "This incident has exposed shortcomings in the competition system and a lack of strict supervision. We sincerely apologize."
According to the final results announced on Sunday, November 3, 2024, neither Jiang nor her teacher was among the 86 winners of the competition.
The Rise of a Math Prodigy
The annual math competition in China attracts contestants from institutions worldwide and is hosted by Alibaba’s research institute, Damo Academy.
This year, Jiang, a student at Jiangsu Lianshui Vocational School, outperformed contestants from some of the world’s most renowned institutions, including Peking University, MIT, and Oxford.
Local media reported that she chose to study at the vocational school because of her interest in fashion design and the fact that her sister and friends were also there.
Jiang’s achievements and her unconventional educational background quickly garnered national attention. Her story appeared in a video produced by Damo Academy, and she was interviewed by various media outlets.
She told People's Daily, "Learning math is hard, but every time I solve problems, I feel happy. No matter what the future holds, I will continue learning."
Jiang’s teacher, Wang Ronqiu, also gained recognition as a teacher who noticed her passion for mathematics and encouraged her. In interviews, he described her as an intuitive student who taught herself advanced math.
He said, "I faced many setbacks in learning math, so I want to do everything I can to help my students and show them that there are other opportunities in the future."
But along with the overwhelming praise for Jiang and her teacher, her story also sparked a debate about whether China’s educational system is doing enough to support talented students in less conventional academic paths, especially those who might not receive the same recognition from their teachers.
China’s education system focuses most of its resources on students preparing for the notoriously difficult Gaokao exam, which is required for university admission.
Vocational school students have long faced limitations on taking the Gaokao and attending traditional universities. However, an education reform in 2022 introduced an alternative university entrance exam for vocational students.
A previous opinion piece by the Chinese news agency Xinhua had noted that Jiang’s achievements “reveal an embarrassing truth: even talented youth like her may go unrecognized due to a lack of quality educational credentials.”
Yet as Jiang’s fame grew, criticisms and doubts about her skills began to escalate.
Dozens of other finalists published a joint letter in June to the competition’s organizing committee, calling for an investigation into Jiang. They also demanded her preliminary test answers be made public.
The competitors claimed that Jiang made “several clear typographical errors” in an online video and “seemed unfamiliar with mathematical expressions and symbols.”
While the preliminary round allowed participants to use computer programs, the final round was a closed-book, no-reference exam. The final results, originally scheduled for release in August, were delayed by several months.
When the results were finally announced on Sunday, Jiang was not among the 86 winners in the final round.
Her school confirmed in a statement on Sunday that Jiang received help from her teacher Wang, who has since been warned and excluded from this year’s teaching awards. However, the statement also urged “leniency and protection for the student.”
Attempts by the BBC to contact Jiang’s family were unsuccessful. Jiang’s mother’s social media account has been closed, and a phone number linked to her father has been disabled.
Jiang’s school did not respond to multiple calls from the BBC, and a village official declined to discuss Jiang’s case when contacted by the BBC.
While the revelation has triggered a wave of criticism toward Jiang and her teacher, many social media users have also spoken out in support of the teenager, arguing that the greater responsibility lies with her school and teacher.
One post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo stated, “Jiang Ping is not innocent, that’s certain. But who is worse here? Adults pushed this child to do something wrong and left her to face all the consequences.”
Another user wrote on Weibo, “Even if the whole thing was a sham, Jiang Ping wasn’t the mastermind behind it. She shouldn’t be sacrificed.”