MCLC: Minority Education in China review

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: pjmooney <pjmooney at me.com>
Subject: Minority Education in China review
***********************************************************

Source: SCMP (3/2/14):
http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/books/article/1437127/book-review-minority-ed
ucation-china-james-leibold-and-chen-yangbin

Book review: Minority Education in China, by James Leibold and Chen Yangbin
Minority Education in China (HKU Press)
Reviewed by Linda Yeung

Like other human rights issues on the mainland, the protection of equal
access to education is fraught with problems. It was dealt a blow recently
with the jailing of Xu Zhiyong, a lawyer and campaigner for the rights of
migrant workers' children to go to school or take the university entrance
examination (gaokao) where they reside.

Education for the mainland's 56 ethnic minority groups is no simple matter
either. Minority Education in China: Balancing Unity and Diversity in An
Era of Critical Pluralism reveals the challenges facing education for the
non-Han population. It brings together essays by 21 experts exploring
different aspects of education for the Uygurs, Tibetans, Mongolians and
many other ethnic groups mostly concentrated in the western part of the
country.

Previous books have explored the pedagogical and policy challenges of
minority education, but this is the first to present the challenges in
light of Beijing's efforts to instil a sense of national belonging among
its ethnically diverse population. This volume presents empirical data on
schooling in areas such as the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, home to
all 56 ethnic groups. The debate on what constitutes multiculturalism is
also covered.

The state education system is a key battleground in the central
government's efforts to promote "harmonious multiculturalism", write James
Leibold and Chen Yangbin. Special measures exist to increase minority
students' access to higher education, and to help them learn both
Putonghua and their native language.

But creating a shared sense of national belonging when the minorities are
vastly outnumbered by the Han Chinese, who make up more than 91 per cent
of the population, is a daunting task. As noted by various contributors to
the book, the present system is one more of separation than integration.
The dearth of properly trained bilingual teachers is one reason why it has
been hard to raise students' language proficiency.

This book identifies the multiple factors hindering true integration, from
language barriers and ethnic attitudes to government policies. Its
information on educational changes in the areas inhabited by minority
groups makes it a useful resource for anyone interested in the topic,
although the academic tone and style makes this book less engaging for the
general reader.

That aside, Minority Education in China highlights - again - the
half-hearted approach to safeguarding minorities' educational rights.