A prominent mathematics teacher from Nanjing University recently took to social media to argue that English should be stripped of its core-subject status in schools. Tang Jiafeng claimed that millions of students waste years chasing test scores in a foreign language they will rarely use in daily life. His posts quickly topped trending lists on Weibo, reigniting a massive national argument over nationalism, educational resources, and global competitiveness.
You see this kind of pushback whenever economic anxieties and shifting geopolitical winds collide. But treating foreign language instruction as an ideological enemy or an outdated burden ignores how global knowledge networks actually function. If you look past the viral rhetoric, the debate touches on deeper flaws in high-stakes testing that changing school subjects won't fix. You might also find this similar story insightful: The Neon Pulpit and the New Guard.
The Weight of the Gaokao and the AI Factor
In China's high-stakes education system, English carries 150 points on the gaokao—the grueling university entrance exam—putting it on equal footing with Chinese language and mathematics. Students start mandatory English classes in the third grade. Critics like Tang argue that this setup forces children to cram foreign vocabulary before they have even mastered their native tongue.
Fueling this current backlash is the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Why spend thousands of hours memorizing grammar rules and vocabulary lists when real-time translation tools can interpret speech and text instantly? As reported in recent coverage by BBC News, the implications are widespread.
It sounds pragmatic on the surface. Why not ditch the textbooks and let algorithms handle the language barrier?
Real-world experience tells a different story. AI translation can bridge a basic conversation, but it falls apart when you try to parse nuanced academic research, negotiate complex international trade deals, or build cutting-edge technology. Relying entirely on automated tools means you are always consuming filtered information rather than engaging directly with primary sources.
Who Actually Benefits From Demoting English
If English were dropped as a core, mandatory subject, the immediate result wouldn't be a reduction in stress. It would be a massive shift in educational inequality.
Education scholars like Xiong Bingqi have pointed out a glaring economic reality. When a subject is removed from the free public school curriculum, it doesn't vanish from society. Instead, it gets privatized.
- Urban Wealthy Families: Wealthy parents will easily afford private international tutors and elite language camps. Their children will still attain fluent bilingualism.
- Rural and Working-Class Students: Students relying entirely on public schools will lose their primary, structured exposure to a global language.
Stripping English of its core status doesn't level the playing field. It locks out the kids who depend on public schooling for social mobility.
The Danger of Closing the Door
History shows that national strength relies on engagement, not isolation. During the late 19th-century Self-Strengthening Movement, Qing dynasty scholars argued for studying foreign science and languages precisely so China could master and eventually surpass outside powers.
Today, China leads the world in several technological sectors, from electric vehicle batteries to humanoid robotics. Yet, the primary research papers driving global innovation are still published in English. Cutting off foreign language education doesn't create self-sufficiency. It restricts access to global knowledge pipelines.
Prominent figures like former Global Times editor Hu Xijin pushed back against the anti-English wave, noting that viewing language acquisition as a form of cultural subservience is dangerously narrow-minded. English became a global lingua franca because Western nations led industrial modernization for centuries, not because learning it requires a personality cult.
Fixing the Real Problem
The anger directed at English is really misplaced frustration with an exam-driven education model. Students are drowning in homework, test anxiety, and hyper-competitive pressures not because of English specifically, but because a single test score dictates their entire future.
If you want to reform the system, focus on flexible university admissions and diversified evaluation paths instead of playing political football with curriculum subjects. Give institutions the freedom to weigh skills differently depending on a student's chosen major. Keep English accessible as a public good while refining how it is taught so students actually learn to communicate rather than just memorize for a test.
