Reported by Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy
A Chinese Ministry of Education (MoE) decree went into force this month to teach Mandarin Chinese to all preschool children, an extension of Xi Jinping’s belief in catching them young, noting the significance of language learning in the early years, and discounting the purpose of bilingual education of helping children ease into the school system.
The MoE had announced in July that the “’Children Homophony’ Plan for Putonghua Education for Preschool Children” will be enforced from 1 September to cultivate a strong foundation for standard Mandarin language and help “build a sense of community for the Chinese nation” from an early age.
The plan requires all kindergartens across ethnic and rural areas to start using Mandarin Chinese as the medium of instruction for preschool activities while teachers must undergo “national common language application ability training” in batches during 2021-2025 period.
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