Letters | What’s wrong with dropping English in school?

  • It would be better to allow students to choose languages that they are more interested in, or that are more useful, or to simply pick up another skill

Chinese lawmaker Xu Jin has suggested that English be scrapped a s a compulsory language. Photo: Shutterstock

A prominent Chinese lawmaker, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee member Xu Jin, recently came up with a controversial suggestion that it has been a waste of national resources to teach English to all primary and secondary school students. English as a compulsory subject in the gaokao, the university entrance exam, should be scrapped, he said.

Having been an English language teacher for more than 36 years, I fully agree with his point of view. For most schools in China, the status of English as a subject should be something like that of French or Spanish in an international school. Pupils learn it simply for the sake of interest.

Print option is available for subscribers only.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.