When asked about media reports that the Tibetan language has been removed from the college entrance examination, or gaokao, in China's Xizang Autonomous Region and is no longer treated as a main subject in schools, Gama Cedain, chairman of the people's government of Xizang, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the adjustment of gaokao subjects does not mean the Tibetan language has been removed from the curriculum. 

At the press conference highlighting the Xizang Autonomous Region's social and economic development on the 60th anniversary of its founding, Gama Cedain further emphasized that Tibetan remains a core academic subject in primary and secondary schools across Xizang and other Tibetan-inhabited areas, and the Tibetan language curriculum at the basic education level remains unchanged.

Since 2014, China's education authorities have been implementing a comprehensive reform to the national college entrance examination system across the country, with 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities having adopted this reform. Xizang launched the reform in 2024, primarily aimed at correcting the misguided overemphasis on test scores and university admissions, and at truly promoting student development and social equity, Gama Cedain said.

Following relevant policy adjustments, Xizang — like other provincial-levels regions in China — now adopts a unified examination system, with standardized tests in Chinese, mathematics, and a foreign language, which may be English, Russian, Japanese, French, German, or Spanish. Selective subjects include political science, history, geography, physics, chemistry, and biology, said Gama Cedain.

Students of Tibetan ethnic group may still apply to Tibetan-language programs at regular universities by taking a Tibetan language exam administered by the Xizang Autonomous Region. Those who pass the exam may apply. This helps ensure fairer access to quality education for students of all ethnic groups, enhances minority students' academic capabilities, and improves their scientific and cultural literacy. It also provides more opportunities for students to pursue success and enter higher education, said the official.

The adjustment of gaokao subjects in Xizang does not mean the removal of Tibetan language courses. Tibetan remains a core academic subject in primary and secondary schools in Xizang and other Tibetan-inhabited areas. The Tibetan language curriculum in basic education remains unchanged. Its implementation is held to the same rigorous standards as other subjects in terms of curriculum planning, teaching norms, and instructional methods. Tibetan is also included in academic performance evaluations at the junior and senior high school levels, said Gama Cedain.