Dharamshala, 25th September: According to a media source quoting the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, China has imposed the Mandarin language on all preschool students and compels all kindergartens across ethnic and rural areas to utilize Mandarin as the medium of instruction for school activities (TCHRD).
“Starting from the fall semester of 2021, all kindergartens in ethnic areas and rural areas that have not used the national standard language for childcare and education activities will use the national standard language for activities to create a good Mandarin education environment for children,” according to Phayul.
The ‘Children Homophony Plan for Putonghua Education for Preschool Children’ in Beijing aims to “cultivate a strong foundation of the standard Chinese language” as well as “create a community for the Chinese country from an early age,” according to Phayul. The regulation has been criticized by activists as an attempt to Sinicize the education system in ethnic and rural communities.
Tenzin Sangmo, a TCHRD researcher, said, according to Phayul: “The plan is designed to weaken the child’s grasp of one’s mother tongue in the first few years. Although studies have shown that children are capable of picking up more than one language in early years and much rest in the hands of parents, we must remember that the imposition of compulsory Mandarin education in this context would serve as a conduit for Sinicisation lessons and cultural values that come with the introduction of a language.
Teachers would also have to go through ‘national common language application ability training’ in phases from 2021 to 2025. Activists believed that such directives would make it difficult for the Tibetan language to survive. According to Phayul, Chinese police detained a youngster named Sherab Dorjee in Trotsik Township, Ngaba County, last month for reportedly lobbying the local government office to have Tibetan language instruction prioritized in schools.
Chinese officials convicted Tashi Wangchuk, a common Tibetan who fought for linguistic rights, to five years in prison. After serving his sentence, he was freed in January of this year. In Tibet, speaking out for linguistic rights has become dangerous. In Tibet, the Chinese government charges such activists with broad allegations such as “inciting separatism.”