The 'Isolationism' Idea of China's National People's Congress... Controversy Over English Education Support and Opposition

Proposal to Reduce English Education Hours for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students to Enhance Cultural Pride
Chinese Ministry of Education Expresses Indirect Opposition if English Proportion Is Not High

[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Cho Young-shin] The National People's Congress (NPC) of China has proposed reducing foreign language education in elementary, middle, and high schools, sparking mixed opinions within China. The NPC is China's legislative body (parliament).

Photo by Global Times capture

According to Chinese media such as Xinhua on the 26th, the NPC recently argued that foreign language education hours in Chinese elementary, middle, and high schools should be reduced through a proposal to "reduce the proportion of foreign language education to enhance cultural pride." Here, foreign language refers to English.

The NPC explained that young students should be exposed to more Chinese culture during the critical period of worldview formation, and that education about Chinese culture can enhance cultural pride, thus necessitating a reduction in foreign language education hours.

In response to the NPC's proposal, the Chinese Ministry of Education expressed indirect opposition. The Ministry stated that foreign languages are a means of communication with other cultures and play an important role in cultivating students' international perspectives and intercultural communication skills.

Additionally, the Ministry pointed out that the proportion of foreign language class hours in elementary, middle, and high schools accounts for only 6-8% of the total curriculum. It further explained that compared to other subjects such as Chinese (20-22%), mathematics (13-15%), and arts and physical education (10-11%), the proportion of foreign language is not high.

Furthermore, for general high schools (revised in 2020), the mandatory foreign language study hours account for only 7% of the total mandatory curriculum hours, and the proportion of foreign language in the Gaokao (university entrance exam) has not changed, the Ministry added.

The Chinese Gaokao subjects are broadly composed of language (Chinese), mathematics, liberal arts comprehensive (politics, history, geography), science comprehensive (physics, chemistry, biology), and foreign language.

Within China, there is a negative view of the NPC's proposal to reduce foreign language education hours.

Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Education Sciences, said, "English is still the global lingua franca," and "For China's development, Chinese people need to be more proficient in English." He expressed concern, saying, "Urban high-income parents will not give up on their children's English education, and if the perception that English is useless spreads, rural students will suffer the most."

The NPC's proposal to reduce English education hours in elementary, middle, and high schools is attracting attention due to its isolationist nature based on Sinocentrism.

Some argue that the NPC proposed reducing foreign language education hours because private education expenses such as English education are believed to affect the birth rate. Others say the proposal is outdated and was made to block the huge profits that educational institutions from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia are making in China.

In the Chinese education sector, voices calling for improvement in the exam-centered English education method are emerging, and the prevailing view is that there will be some form of change in China's foreign language education.