A maths teacher in China has started a nationwide argument over whether children should still have to learn English. Earlier this month, Tang Jiafeng said on social media that English should be an optional subject in Chinese schools. Kids, he argued, were being pushed into a foreign language before they had a firm grip on Chinese. He also asked people to stop the “blind worship of foreign imports.”The timing made it land hard. AI translation tools are improving quickly, and young graduates in China face an uncertain job market. According to a New York Times report, the debate has now drawn in parents, teachers, policy analysts and a former state media editor. It touches everything from classroom workload to national identity.
English is one of China’s three core school subjects
Since the late 1970s, English has sat alongside maths and Chinese as a core subject. It takes up a large share of classroom hours and carries heavy weight in the gaokao, China’s college entrance exam.Some parents and teachers backed Tang. They said the grammar-heavy, test-driven curriculum rarely produces fluent speakers. Xiong Bingqi, who heads Shenzhen’s 21st Century Education Research Institute, told NYT the system creates “dumb English.” He added that people who use English at work are a minority.Others took issue with Tang’s wording. Wang Zichen of Beijing’s Center for China and Globalization said “blind worship” is a loaded phrase in China. Hu Xijin, former editor of the Global Times, said some people were politicising the issue and urged the education department to ignore them.
AI translation is already changing how China teaches English
This is not just online noise. In July, a Shenzhen research university said it would phase out English courses, citing real-time AI translation. Courses comparing Chinese and Western cultures will replace them. Shanghai scrapped English final exams for primary school children back in 2021. China also fell from 38th place in 2020 to 86th out of 123 countries in EF’s 2025 English proficiency ranking.Cinderella Huang, an English teacher in Guangdong, warned that dropping the subject would widen the wealth gap. Top AI models, foreign travel and leading global universities still demand English, she pointed out. Rich families will keep paying for tutors and international schools. For poorer children, school English remains their only window out.Beijing has not commented on the debate yet. For now, English stays on the timetable.
