放牛班 (fàngniúbān): dunces' class

Originally Taiwanese campus slang. Image: 放牛 (fàngniú) is 'to put cattle out to pasture' — students in this 班 (bān, class) are 'left to graze' instead of being seriously taught for entrance exams, in contrast to the 升学班 (shēngxuébān, exam-prep track). The term carries clear classist baggage.

In Pop Culture

放牛班的春天 Fàngniúbān de Chūntiān

The Chorus (2004 French film 'Les Choristes')

The Mandarin title of the beloved Christophe Barratier film about a music teacher transforming a class of troubled boys — making 放牛班 widely recognized across the Chinese-speaking world.