Several countries propose removing English from compulsory subjects

Fear of losing national language roots

The education authorities of the Nordic countries of Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway are calling for a reduction in English language instruction, while “restoring the primacy of native languages ​​in universities,” according to The Economist. In fact, many citizens of these countries are fluent in English, but this has also caused controversy over concerns about “losing their national language roots.”

Specifically, in June 2023, Dutch Minister of Education Robbert Dijkgraaf announced that at least two-thirds of the teaching content in university programs will have to be in Dutch instead of English.

In 2021, in an effort to promote Danish in universities, the Danish government limited the number of courses taught solely in English.

The University of Oslo (Norway) has introduced a policy of bilingual teaching, with Norwegian being the main language of instruction and English being used “where appropriate or necessary”. Schools will organise Norwegian language classes and students will be required to attend. Publications must have abstracts in both languages ​​or the university should give priority to developing terminology in Norwegian.

A proposal to remove English from compulsory school subjects in China has sparked heated debate in the country recently.

In April 2023, at the annual "two sessions" of China's top legislative and advisory body, some delegates continued to propose scaling back English teaching.

Accordingly, some delegates believe that this subject is overemphasized in the curriculum, so they propose to eliminate English classes for first and second graders, making English an elective subject instead of a compulsory subject in China's most important national exams such as the high school entrance exam (zhongkao), and the college entrance exam (gaokao).

“Most Chinese people do not use English in their daily lives, so learning this foreign language has put unnecessary pressure on students.

“Scaling down English teaching would also help combat inequality, as urban children have easier access to language learning resources than children in rural areas,” one delegate said, according to Six tone.

“English is just a tool. It has nothing to do with cultural confidence,” said education researcher Zeicha, referring to the fact that English remains the world’s most popular language.

Polls conducted by Sina in 2017 showed the Chinese public was divided on the issue, with some surveys showing a majority in favor of downplaying the importance of English in the gaokao.

In fact, in 2021, China launched a “Shuang Jian” (Double Down) campaign to discourage families from spending large sums of money on private tuition for subjects like math and English. Public schools in Beijing and Shanghai have also gradually reduced the number of English lessons per week. First and second graders now typically take two or three English lessons per week, while they typically study Chinese every day.

Ban English teaching in primary schools

Farsi is the official language of Iran, but English was once widely taught in schools. There has been debate in the Islamic country about how to strike a balance between Persian language education and English teaching.

In Iran, English instruction usually begins in junior high school. Some elementary schools with younger students also offer English classes.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had previously criticized the extension of "English language learning to kindergartens." The country's education ministry then issued a ban on teaching English in primary schools, according to Iran International.

English is not included in Iran's official curriculum for the first six years of primary school, but some public schools teach English to students as an extracurricular subject and these classes are not compulsory.

“Students must learn a foreign language during their secondary and high school education, but it does not have to be English,” Fatemeh Ramezani, secretary of the Curriculum and Training Committee of Iran’s Supreme Council of Education, said in July 2023. Instead of English, students can choose French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese and Spanish, as well as additional courses in Arabic, Ramezani said.

Elimination helps increase international competitiveness

English has been a "fixed" part of the elementary and middle school curriculum in Korea for many years.

However, in 2017, the Daegu City Office of Education proposed that the Ministry of Education remove English from the list of compulsory subjects including English, Korean and Mathematics.

The department said the removal, if implemented, would make it easier for students, especially from multiracial families, to learn other languages ​​in school, which would help enhance the country's linguistic diversity and international competitiveness, according to the Korea Times.

“It will be difficult to make any changes to the current policy because English is an important part of the curriculum. Any changes to this will require an in-depth discussion of the pros and cons,” an education ministry official told The Korea Times.

Enact laws to protect and promote ethnic languages

France has a long history of valuing and protecting its linguistic and cultural heritage. The government and organizations such as Francophonie are committed to promoting the French language as a means of preserving national identity.

France has implemented language policies and laws, such as the Toubon Law, to promote and protect the use of French in aspects of society.

France has only recently focused on universal English education. English is not compulsory before grade 6ème (age 11), according to The Local.

There has been an ongoing debate about the emphasis on English education in French schools. Some argue that a strong focus on English is necessary for international communication and competitiveness. Others worry that an overemphasis on English could be detrimental to the French language and culture.

Until 6ème, schools could decide on the language of instruction “according to available resources”, depending on the language skills of the teachers.