The education of ethnic minorities in China is explored,
addressing issues that relate to state schooling, ethnicity, and development.
Minority religions, which traditionally provided much of the education
outside of the family, are tolerated increasingly officially, but not really
recognized in state schooling. Language is another major challenge related to
ethnic minority culture and schooling. There is a strong national call to use
Chinese as the main medium in instruction, but in many cases efforts are
being made to educate in minority languages. Although the provision of
education for ethnic minorities has been increasing, most minorities are
below the national average at all levels. This is especially true for women.
The gap between minority achievement and that of the large Han group is also
especially apparent in higher education. Since 1980, measures have been taken
to increase the participation of minorities in higher education, but much
remains to be done. A look at Tibet illustrates many of the problems in
minority education in China. So far, the diversity that exists in China does
not appear to be fully reflected in the content of schooling, and this is
even more apparent in predominantly Han Chinese schools, where there seems to
be little sensitivity to minority cultures. Curricula that reflect the
cultural diversity of China might increase understanding among ethnic groups
and help conserve minority cultures.