Human Rights Watch Warns Tibetan-Medium Schooling Under Threat from China’s Bilingual Education Policy

Geneva / Tibet (2026) — A comprehensive report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has raised alarm over China’s bilingual education policy in Tibet, warning that state directives intended to promote Mandarin language teaching are undermining Tibetan-medium schooling and threatening the future of the region’s language and cultural heritage. The findings come amid growing concern from educators, rights advocates, and international observers about the long-term impact of these policies on Tibetan identity.

According to the HRW analysis, government efforts to expand Mandarin-centric instruction in schools across Tibetan areas have led to the reduction or elimination of Tibetan as the primary medium of teaching in many subjects. While the official policy frames bilingual education as a way to enhance students’ access to opportunity and national unity, critics argue that the practical effect has been a swift erosion of Tibetan language fluency among schoolchildren.

Observers say that Tibetan language proficiency — historically central to cultural transmission, religious practice, and community cohesion — is now at risk as more schools shift core academic subjects into Mandarin. Former teachers and parents cited in the report describe classrooms where Tibetan is limited to a single subject, often relegated to low class time and insufficient for developing full literacy.

The report notes that these changes disproportionately affect rural and minority communities, where Tibetan schools have long been pillars of local identity. In several cases, local Tibetan-medium schools have been closed or amalgamated into larger Mandarin-led institutions, resulting in boarding arrangements that further reduce daily family and community contact in learners’ native language.

Human Rights Watch researchers documented testimonies from students who reported difficulty understanding lessons delivered in Mandarin — a language foreign to many Tibetan home environments — and feeling alienated from familiar cultural contexts. Several parents expressed concern that their children are losing not only their native language but also the ability to engage in traditional spiritual and cultural practices that are bound to linguistic expression.

Critics argue that the policy’s impact goes beyond academic performance. Language is deeply linked with identity, and the weakening of Tibetan language instruction is seen by many advocates as part of a broader pattern of cultural assimilation pressures. They contend that without robust mother-tongue education, Tibetan children may grow up disconnected from community history, folklore, religious texts, and collective memory.

Chinese authorities defend the bilingual policy by asserting that Mandarin proficiency is essential for students to compete in the broader economy and access higher education and employment opportunities. They maintain that Tibetan language classes remain part of the curriculum and that bilingual education enables students to master both languages.

However, rights advocates counter that equitable bilingual education must ensure genuine fluency and cultural continuity, rather than prioritising one language at the expense of another. They urge Beijing to revise policies in alignment with international standards on minority rights and education, which emphasise the importance of mother-tongue instruction and community involvement in schooling decisions.

The HRW report adds to a growing body of international scrutiny on educational and cultural policies in Tibetan regions, including calls from UN experts and foreign governments for greater transparency and protection of linguistic rights. As debates over language policy continue, many educators and parents hope for solutions that safeguard both academic opportunity and the survival of Tibetan language and culture for future generations.