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Mandarinization in Inner Mongolia: Threats to Mongolian Cultural Identity

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Chinese authorities in Inner Mongolia’s northern region have reduced the number of weekly Mongolian language classes in schools, as reported by Radio Free Asia. This move is part of a broader effort to phase out Mongolian as the medium of instruction for non-language subjects like history, math, and science, in favour of Mandarin. This policy initially led to widespread protests by parents and students in September 2020, followed by a regionwide crackdown.

Furthermore, Mongolian language classes have been banned from kindergarten and the weekly classes have been reduced from seven to just three, according to individuals familiar with the situation. In a continuation of the 2020 policy, the education bureau in Hohhot, the regional capital, recently mandated that primary and secondary schools in the city should use Mandarin exclusively as the language of instruction starting from the academic year commencing on September 1.

A teacher from Inner Mongolia’s Ordos city, identified as Uyunqimg, informed RFA that many schools in the region have also cut Mongolian language classes. Additionally, it has been revealed that the Mongolian language test will no longer be included in college entrance exams in the region. Uyunqimg remarked, “Mongolian language teaching hasn’t been completely eliminated yet, but it may gradually phase out. The ultimate goal is certainly its complete elimination, as evidenced by the removal of the Mongolian language test from college entrance exams.”

An anonymous ethnic Mongolian residing in the region, who is well-informed about the situation but chose not to disclose their identity due to concerns about potential reprisals, has confirmed that starting in 2025, high school entrance exams will exclusively use Chinese, while Mongolian will be entirely removed from college entrance exams by 2028.

This individual expressed that the future trend indicates a gradual elimination of the Mongolian language from textbooks. However, they noted that there are still Mongolian language departments within Chinese colleges and universities, making it uncertain what the future holds in this regard. Uyunqimg, the teacher from Inner Mongolia’s Ordos city, highlighted that some kindergartens have ceased teaching Mongolian children’s songs and have replaced them with Chinese songs. She clarified that this change is not uniform across all locations, as it varies from place to place.

“In certain areas, Mongolian language teachers are finding themselves assigned to teach other subjects due to the evident reduction in Mongolian language classes,” Uyunqimg added.

The Southern Mongolia Human Rights and Information Center, based in New York, also reported that Chinese authorities are enforcing a complete ban on the use of the Mongolian language in all schools throughout Inner Mongolia. According to their September 1 report, all Mongolian schools, including kindergartens, are now mandated to use Chinese as the exclusive medium of instruction for all subjects.

The report quoted an ethnic Mongolian parent who stated in a WeChat discussion group that Beijing is disseminating misinformation and engaging in efforts to indoctrinate Mongolians. Some residents expressed that their autonomous region has lost its autonomy entirely, and homeschooling is not a viable option, as refusing to send children to school is not permitted.

One WeChat comment summed up the sentiment by stating, “This is not just a denial of our right to our mother tongue. This is a threat to the survival of our Mongolian nation and people.” According to Yang Haiying, a professor at Shizuoka University in Japan, these actions are consistent with the “elimination” of the bilingual culture that was once present in schools in the region. Yang explained that the implementation of Mandarin-medium teaching aligns with the cancellation of the bilingual policy introduced in June 2020. As a result, Mongolian language classes have become increasingly limited, focusing primarily on basic tasks like writing one’s name and using greetings.

Furthermore, the Inner Mongolia Admissions and Examination authorities are set to reduce examination point handicaps for ethnic Mongolians, Daur, Oroqen, Evenk, and Russians from 10 points to five starting in 2026, as reported on the region’s official examinations and admissions website. Yang pointed out that this change will exacerbate educational inequalities between ethnic minority students and the majority Han Chinese, who receive significantly larger point handicaps when taking tests in ethnic minority areas.

For instance, if a Han Chinese student takes the exam in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region in Mongolian, they can receive a handicap of 100 points. Xi Haiming, an ethnic Mongolian activist based in Germany, stated that authorities are employing other methods to compel ethnic Mongolian children to abandon their native language in favor of Chinese, often by exerting pressure on parents at their workplaces.

Xi noted that parents who send their children to schools that teach Mongolian may face job loss, creating significant pressure on families. This coercive imposition of Chinese medium teaching on Mongolians by the authorities is viewed as highly inhumane.

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