Reported By Palden
Edited By Pema Tso
Translated by TenGyal
In Tibet, a message shared in a parents’ WeChat group urged families to carefully consider whether their children should continue studying Tibetan, as the language would no longer be included in the college examination.
In recent years, the Chinese government has downgraded the Tibetan language in schools across Tibet, reducing its role to that of a single subject. This move aligns with the government’s broader policy to prioritise China-centric, Mandarin-focused educational programs. The Tibetan Language has also been removed from the college exams. Also, a notice was issued to the parents to the effect that they have a choice as to whether to let their children continue studying Tibetan or not. Many teachers and students in Tibet continue to face a lot of challenges since China began to exclude the Tibetan Language from the college examinations in 2022.
In a notice relating to examinations that was published in a We Chat group of Tibetan parents: “Since it is a school break from this Friday evening to Monday evening, parents and guardians are requested to look after the welfare of the students. From now on, we are removing the Tibetan Language from the college examinations. As such, parents are requested to confirm whether their wards will continue studying Tibetan. If students want to continue to do so, they can continue to study Tibetan as a subject as before without any change. Yet, if students decide not to opt for the Tibetan Language this time, it must be noted that there won’t be an option to study it as a subject later on. Parents and guardians are advised to deliberate carefully on this before coming to a decision.”
Related to this issue, a young Tibetan going by the social media handle Notes on Tibet has posted a short video on online platforms in Tibet. In the video, he stated that the gradual reduction and exclusion of Tibetan Language as a subject in the college entrance exams, presenting it as an optional subject, has lately become an issue that many have been growing concerned about. There are many differing views on the issue. Some consider it an issue of the usage of the Tibetan Language, while others might view it as a necessary step of educational reform. Taking these differing views into account, he urged that the Tibetans must introspect and deliberate more carefully on this issue than before. He went on to describe how the reforms implemented by the Ministry of Education in recent years have changed long-held strong Tibetan attitudes and convictions about traditional Tibetan education. He attributed these educational reforms as a step to shift focus on developing science and technology and human resources.
When this reporter inquired Sakar Tashi, who broke the news online, as to which area in Tibet this directive was from, he answered, “The Chinese government’s decision to put Tibetan Language as an optional subject in the college examinations is a very crucial issue and directly related to the government’s effort to reduce the scope of usage of Tibetan Language. As such, even though we must observe such issues with careful attention, it remains unclear exactly in which area the policy of keeping Tibetan as an optional subject is being implemented.”
In recent years, the Chinese government has persisted in forcibly closing numerous privately run Tibetan schools, where Tibetan serves as the primary language of instruction. Starting around 2010, many primary and middle schools in Qinghai Province saw a reduction in Tibetan language instruction. The government progressively replaced it with a more sinicised education model, emphasising the integration of Mandarin and standard Chinese curricula. Since the start of the spring semester in 2023, Tibetan language instruction has been steadily phased out in primary and secondary schools across Ngaba Prefecture. This year, authorities in Kardze Prefecture have officially finalised a similar policy to eliminate Tibetan language teaching in schools. However, the full scope of its implementation remains unclear, raising concerns about the preservation of cultural and linguistic heritage in the region.
