Human Rights Watch has accused Beijing of enforcing Chinese-medium education and ideological indoctrination on Tibetan kindergarten children. The rights body highlighted a Ministry of Education directive mandating the use of standard Mandarin Chinese for preschool instruction in ethnic minority areas. Despite the allowance for supplementary sessions in minority languages, minorities no longer have the authority to organize them independently.
Expressing concern over Chinese policies in Tibet, HRW emphasized that restricting Tibetan-language education in early childhood accelerates the erosion of Tibetan language and culture. By targeting kindergarteners, the Chinese government aims to assimilate Tibetan children into a Han-centric national identity from a young age. This approach, according to HRW, includes political and cultural indoctrination in preschool curricula in Tibetan areas.
China’s language policy, coupled with political and cultural indoctrination, emphasizes loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and identification as part of the “Chinese nation.” Tibetan Buddhism and cultural practices are notably absent from the curriculum. HRW stated that these policies violate international human rights law, including the right of minority children to use their own language and maintain their cultural identity.
HRW urged the Chinese government to reverse its policies on Chinese-medium education in preschools, restore genuine bilingual education options, and cease political indoctrination in early childhood settings. The rights body called on foreign governments and the UN to pressure Beijing to uphold its international obligations and allow independent access to Tibetan areas and schools. Failure to change these practices, HRW warned, could result in an entire generation of Tibetan children losing their language, culture, and heritage.
