Beijing [China] September 28 : Authorities in China have completed the rollout of a controversial language reform in Inner Mongolia, requiring Mandarin to be the central language of instruction in schools. The shift, first introduced in 2020 and now fully enforced, has left many ethnic Mongolians fearing the erosion of their mother tongue, culture, and identity, as reported by The Epoch Times.
According to The Epoch Times, under the policy, nearly all subjects, including mathematics, history, and politics, must now be taught in Mandarin, leaving Mongolian reduced to a single language course.
Teachers who once instructed in Mongolian have either been reassigned or pushed into intensive retraining programs to adapt to the new mandate. Saren, a primary school teacher, said the abrupt change has been difficult. "I taught math in Mongolia for over a decade. Since last fall, I've had to switch completely to Mandarin. The training was rushed, and many of us are struggling. It's even harder for the students."
Other educators have noticed the impact on children's academic performance. At a school in Ordos, teacher Naren-Gowa observed that pupils who previously excelled suddenly saw their grades fall after the transition. Parents share similar concerns. "If textbooks in Mandarin are used from first grade, our mother tongue will slowly vanish. And if our language disappears, so will our ethnic identity," said Adma, a parent from Hulun Buir, as cited by The Epoch Times.
The effects of the policy extend beyond schools. Ethnic Mongolian civil servants are now expected to use Mandarin in all public duties; this environment discourages them from speaking Mongolian, even among friends and colleagues, as they fear being perceived as "backward or incompetent."
Some teachers also report feeling isolated at work. With staff offices now mixed to encourage integration, one said a colleague warned against using Mongolian at all. "I felt like a stranger in my own workplace," the teacher recalled. For many in Inner Mongolia, the concern is not only the diminishing use of their language but the gradual disappearance of their cultural heritage, a fear that continues to deepen under the Mandarin-only directive, as reported by The Epoch Times.
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