Abstract:

With 1.3 billion people, the People’s Republic of China cannot be ignored economically or politically. Although 91% of its population is ethnic Han, the nation has over 100 million people of non-Han ethnic groups whose education needs are now being explored by the Chinese government. The Confucius Institute at Cleveland State University, one of over 300 such institutes worldwide whose goal is to teach Mandarin language and Chinese culture, has been asked to offer input on how best to meet these needs based on US education theory and practice. The Institute proposes adopting and adapting the principles of culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy utilized in American K-12 teaching practice to Chinese schools serving large numbers of Yi, Hui, and/or Hani children and adolescents. This paper offers an overview of the problems associated with educating non-Han ethnic groups in China as well as the proposed plan of action the researchers at the Confucius Institute at Cleveland State have devised to implement in the southern provinces of the PRC.