Pizhou Yunhe Middle School in Xuzhou organized a mock examination on 29th January. All teachers under 40 that taught 12th grade students were required to sit for the exam together with their students for the corresponding subjects they taught, said a teacher on 5th February. It is said that about forty or fifty teachers took the exam, among which more than 10 on average for the basic courses such as Chinese, math and English. 12 teachers handed in “blank paper” at the end of the exam in protest, according to the survey. After the math exam, the school held an emergency meeting. The teachers who handed in “blank paper” were criticized, and more than 10 teachers were required to hand in self-criticism, one of whom even received verbal notification of class suspension from the school authorities, according to a teacher.