Human Rights Watch says China is using preschools to accelerate assimilation of Tibetans by enforcing Mandarin-medium instruction and political messaging. In a 72-page report titled Start with the Youngest Children: China Uses Preschools to ‘Integrate’ Tibetans, HRW documents a 2021 Ministry of Education directive — the Children’s Speech Harmonisation plan — that requires standard Mandarin for all preschool teaching in ethnic minority areas.
While the directive allows for additional sessions in minority languages in theory, HRW says local communities no longer have the legal authority to implement them. The organisation argues this sharply reduces Tibetan-language exposure during a crucial period for language learning and identity formation, contributing to the decline of Tibetan language and culture. HRW quotes its senior China researcher saying the policy appears aimed not at raising education standards but at promoting assimilation into a Han-centred national identity from an early age.
HRW based its conclusions on reviews of Chinese laws, policy documents, academic studies and media reports, plus interviews with seven Tibetans and experts with recent, first-hand knowledge of conditions in Tibetan areas, where independent access is heavily restricted. The report says many children leave preschool unable or unwilling to speak Tibetan — even at home — often shifting to Chinese within weeks or months of starting kindergarten.
The Harmonisation Plan is described as the latest step in decades-long policy shifts that have reduced mother-tongue education. Since the 1984 Regional National Autonomy Law, China has progressively promoted Chinese-language instruction at earlier ages. Although Chinese instruction was already mandatory in primary and secondary schools, kindergartens had until recently been one of the last educational settings where minority languages remained dominant. HRW says the 2021 directive removed references to “bilingual education” from official guidance and that a combination of laws, regulations and directives has all but eliminated institutional support for minority-language schooling. The report also notes a 2026 law aimed at promoting ethnic unity and progress that HRW says includes penalties for those deemed to obstruct Chinese language learning and use.
Although preschool is not legally compulsory in China, HRW found it has become effectively mandatory in Tibetan areas because many urban primary schools require proof of kindergarten attendance for admission, pressuring parents to enrol children in Chinese-language preschools.
Human Rights Watch urges the Chinese government to reverse policies that enforce Chinese-medium education in early childhood, to restore meaningful bilingual education in minority areas, and to end political indoctrination in preschools. The group also calls on foreign governments and the United Nations to press China to meet its international obligations and to permit independent observers access to Tibetan regions and educational institutions.
This article summarises the HRW report and related findings; the original material was released by Human Rights Watch and cited available Chinese policy documents and interviews.
