Dharamshala — Tibetans living in Tibet and exile have expressed deep concern over the Chinese government's decision to remove the Tibetan language from the college entrance exams, forcing Tibetan children to learn mainly Chinese rather than Tibetan. One Tibetan woman said, "Tibetan is our root, it is the soul passed down by our ancestors for generations. Now they want to remove Tibetan from the college entrance exams? Isn't that cutting us off from our roots? Where is the equality in education?"
The Chinese government has intensified its Sinicization campaign in Tibet under the Chinese President Xi Jinping's regime. On August 5, 2025, Chinese authorities in Lhasa, central Tibet, announced that Tibetan will be removed from the national college entrance exam and all Tibetan students required to take the exam in Mandarin only. This decision has caused widespread concern and a sense of helplessness among Tibetans, both in Tibet and in exile, especially those living in Tibet. They have expressed their grave concern and urged the Chinese authorities to reverse their decision.
A Tibetan woman posted a video in the first week of August 2025 expressing her concerns about the removal of Tibetan from the college entrance exam, which was subsequently deleted by the Chinese authorities. In the video, she said, "I heard that our Tibetan language has been removed from the national college entrance exam. What is happening to our Tibetan language? Are Tibetans stealing someone's cattle or blocking someone's path? Why should it be removed in this way? Tibetan is our root, Tibetan script is not the alphabet found in textbooks. It is the soul passed down from generation to generation by our ancestors. Now they want to remove Tibetan from the college entrance exam? Isn't that cutting off our roots? Where is the equality in education?"
The Tibetan woman aged around 40 said,"City kids can study English and coding, with resources piled high. But what about rural and pastoral children? They have no English tutoring classes, no online learning platforms—their only hope is bonus points for Tibetan language subjects. Now even this path is being blocked. Is that fair?"
She added: “If Tibetan is removed from the university entrance exam, who will study it in the next generation? In a few decades, our children will no longer even know how to write their own alphabet. There will be no point in talking about Tibetan culture. Are we going to stand idly by and watch our language become a museum relic?”
"I think the Tibetan examination paper of the college entrance exam could be reformed, for instance by incorporating Tibetan history and ethnic culture, so that Tibetan language serves not only as an exam subject but also as a means of cultural preservation," said this Tibetan woman from Tibet.
"We seek not mere rights and protection of Tibetan, but dignity. The Tibetan-language college entrance exam is not charity, but our steadfast commitment to our culture. We demand no special favors, only a fair chance—to have Tibetan stand alongside English and Chinese with equal dignity in the college entrance exam. Take action now to safeguard our future. If you are Tibetan, if you care about preserving our cultural heritage, join us in raising our voices," said the brave Tibetan woman and concluded her appeal.
