China, Ethnic Autonomous Regions

China is almost unique in the way diversity in education is both permitted and circumscribed in specific regions of the country. The central government's historical narrative is that ethnic autonomous regions have always been an inalienable part of China because the majority Han Chinese have always lived in these lands. It is a narrative that undercuts any claim of denial of indigenous rights. This entry discusses ethnic autonomous regions in the context of the debate in China about ethnic diversity in education.

China's special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, populated by the Han majority, have a degree of autonomy in education that far exceeds anywhere else in the country, with the possible exception of Taiwan. For example, Chinese students there can, if they choose, study through the medium of English, Cantonese (a dialect of Chinese), standard Chinese (Putonghua), or even attend an international school and study through the medium of a foreign language. China also has five designated ethnic autonomous regions, as well as 30 ethnic autonomous prefectures and 120 ethnic autonomous counties (banners). Together they cover about half the country, but the main ethnic group in each area seldom (about one third of the time) accounts for more than half of its population. The five autonomous regions are the Tibetan Autonomous Region, The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, The Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Regional autonomy for ethnic minorities means that organs of self-government, including those for education, are supposed to be established so as to promote equality, unity, and mutual assistance among different ethnic groups. It is driven by the twin goals of national unity and accelerated development. China's law on ethnic regional autonomy includes provisions for education; however, that law is subject to the monopoly of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In ethnic autonomous regions, educational plans, the establishment of schools, the way schools are managed, curriculum, medium of instruction, and method of enrollment must be conducted in accordance with legal provisions of the state. At the same time, education is to be arranged in accordance with the special conditions of these regions. For example, free boarding schools are to be provided for minority students from families with financial difficulties that live in remote locations. Students can also attend designated ethnic schools that provide education and textbooks in their own languages. Standard Chinese (Putonghua) is also promoted in all schools.

The implications of the regional autonomy law for diversity in education are profound and far-reaching. The way the law is implemented determines the extent to which schools can create an atmosphere that has positive institutional norms toward diverse cultural groups within the nation-state. It will also determine the degree to which schools can modify their total environment to make it more reflective of the ethnic diversity in China's society. Nevertheless, Chinese culturalism dominates the curriculum, and ethnic minority cultures are often viewed as being backward in certain respects. Although China is a multiethnic state, education promotes a unified Chinese national culture rather than multiculturalism. The background of the establishment of ethnic autonomous regions is helpful for understanding how educational policies represent and circumscribe diversity.

...