Tibetan students attend class of Tibetan language at a primary school in Yunnan Province. Bilingual teaching of Chinese and ethnic language has received more and more attention.

 

Bilingual teaching should be considered a core component of ethnic group education, scholars said at the Chinese Ethnic Group Education Forum at Northwest Normal University and Gansu Normal University for Nationalities from July 7 to 12.

More than 80 Chinese experts and scholars discussed policy initiatives, related educational theory and practice, and problems of bilingual education at the meeting.
 

Started after the founding of the People's Republic of China over 60 years ago, modern education for ethnic groups has made great strides and developed into a complete system.

During the meeting, some experts also talked about the role of ethnic group education in the entire cause of national development. Chen Kegong, secretary of the party committee of Northwest Normal University, said that education for ethnic groups is not just a matter of education but a significant part of all work in areas where these groups live.
 

"Promoting education in those areas has a strategic significance in cementing ethnic relationships of equality, unity, mutual help and harmony, encouraging rapid development and maintaining long-term peace and stability in the nation."

Wan Minggang, vice-president of Northwest Normal University, said that the top priority is to cultivate an atmosphere for the coexistence of ethnic culture and mainstream culture. "It is important to examine the relations between school education, social culture and natural ecology in the context of social culture in ethnic areas and reflect how traditional culture, such as lifestyle, language and customs, is adapted into modern education."

Practices in these areas show that bilingual education is suited for the characteristics of ethnic students and areas. Wang Jian, director of the Center for Studies of Education Development of Ethnic Groups in Northwest China at Northwest Normal University, said that a scientific model of bilingual teaching is an effective approach to promoting ethnic group education.
 

"Bilingualism is a lifestyle for ethnic nationality students," said He Bo, former president of Qinghai Normal University, "and the key is to cultivate bilingual teachers, in particular those who are realistic and creative."

 

Zhu Yi is a reporter at the Chinese Social Sciences Today.