China requires Tibetan students to take university entrance exams only in Mandarin

Tibetan students who took China’s annual university entrance exam over the weekend had to take it entirely in Mandarin, likely putting many at a disadvantage, residents in Tibet told Radio Free Asia.

The exams, which will be held from June 7 to 9 throughout China, will go a long way in determining the fate of more than 13 million students.

In previous years, ethnic minorities, including Tibetans, have been allowed to take the test in their native languages, but this year marks the first in which the test is conducted in Mandarin only. Additionally, ethnic minorities no longer have an extra five minutes to complete the test as they did in the past.

The Mandarin-only policy for the test coincides with other controversial education policies aimed at establishing Mandarin as a medium of instruction within Tibetan schools, which Tibetan activists say is part of Beijing’s plan to eliminate Tibetan culture and sinicize the region. .

“In 2022, the Chinese government imposed the Model 2 Educational System under which Mandarin became the main medium of instruction in all primary and secondary schools in Golog, Kardze and Qinghai,” a Tibetan resident of Tibet told the Tibetan Service. of RFA on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“Now, starting this year, the Chinese government has imposed Mandarin as the medium for university entrance exams.”

Opponents of the Model 2 education system argue that the policy will destroy the Tibetan language and culture, and has no legal basis.

“Due to the sudden change in the Chinese government’s educational reforms, Tibetan students are not as well prepared or proficient enough in Mandarin to compete with students (native Mandarin speakers) who have always been learning Mandarin,” the resident said. . “This is a disadvantage for Tibetan students over students (native Mandarin speakers) who get easier scores and are admitted to the university. Therefore, many Tibetan students will not get into good universities.”

Eliminating extra time for ethnic minority students is also problematic, another resident, who declined to be named, told RFA.

“(They) were given five extra minutes, but now with the reforms those extra minutes are revoked,” said the second resident. “These reforms have made it almost impossible for Tibetan students to get good grades to get into university, and without a proper degree, it is impossible to get a decent job.”

The trend could be dangerous for the entire Tibetan community, the second resident said.

“We will see an incredible increase in the number of Tibetan students who are unable to attend university and pursue higher education.”

China’s education reforms are a contradiction of its law on Regional National Autonomy, said Pema Gyal, a researcher at the London-based watchdog and advocacy group Tibet Watch.

“The law says that minority schools should, if possible, use printed textbooks in their own languages, and lessons should be in those languages, and this contradicts what the government is doing at the moment,” said Pema Gyal. “This is an attempt to sinicize the education system in Tibet and therefore many Tibetan students cannot pursue higher education.”

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Edited by Eugene Whong.