With less than one month before the national college entrance examination, the news that Jiangsu province would offer some of its college enrollment quota to students from less developed regions created panic among students and parents in the East China province.

The education authorities later stated that the 38,000 university places being offered to students from the central and western regions would not mean fewer students from the province would be enrolled in colleges.

Both the education authorities and some media outlets are responsible for the angry response to the news, as the former failed to give a clear explanation about the reform, while the latter misinterpreted it.