A top university in northwest China has decided that students will no longer need to pass English tests to graduate.
This has sparked a discussion about the role of English in China’s education system.
The Xi’an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province made this announcement recently.
In the past, most Chinese universities required students to pass a national English test called the College English Test before graduating.
This was a long-standing tradition, even though it was not an official government policy.
This emphasis on English reflected China’s eagerness to catch up with the rest of the world when it started opening up to the global community after the era of Mao Zedong.
English is considered the most important language in academics and science worldwide.
However, things have been changing in recent years.
Some universities have started to reduce the importance of English.
They either use their own tests or, as in the case of Xi’an Jiaotong University, have completely removed English requirements for graduation.
“Very good.
I hope other universities will follow suit.
It’s ridiculous that Chinese people’s academic degrees need to be validated by a foreign language (test),” said a comment with more than 24,000 likes on the microblogging site Weibo, where a related hashtag attracted more than 350 million views Thursday.
This shift away from English comes as China’s government under Xi Jinping has been promoting nationalist sentiments and reducing Western influences.
Teachers have been told not to use Western textbooks or discuss Western values like democracy, freedom of the press, and judicial independence in schools.
In Shanghai, elementary schools were even banned from having final exams in English in 2021 to lessen the academic pressure on students.
Some lawmakers and advisors have proposed removing English as a core subject in schools and university entrance exams.
In contrast, Taiwan is working to become bilingual by 2030, highlighting the importance of English proficiency.
China had made English a mandatory subject in primary and secondary schools in 2001 when it joined the World Trade Organization.
At the time, it was seen as a way to modernize Chinese education and prepare students for the global future.
Some critics see the reduced importance of English as a sign of China becoming more isolated and controlling in its ideology.
They argue that having cultural confidence shouldn’t mean closing off from the world.
Others support the decision practically, saying that graduates rarely use English in their daily lives or careers.
They argue that with the help of artificial intelligence and machine translation, English proficiency is less critical.
However, some people emphasize the continued importance of English, especially in the fields of science and technology.
They believe that not understanding English can put individuals behind in the rapidly advancing world of science and technology.
ALSO, READ;
Ten Arrested As Meru Deputy Governor Is Grilled Over Chaos At Governor Mwangaza Event