Nature of Chinese Education in Middle and Primary Schools of Ethnic Regions and the Relations between Chinese Education and Ethnic Language Education

Measured by the major standards to distinguish the first and the second languages,Chinese education should be regarded as the first language education for ethnic minorities in China.For ethnic minorities,learning Chinese is not only learning a language,but also learning an advanced culture.Both education of Chinese and education of ethnic languages have the common purpose of serving the prosperous development of nationalities.The only difference between the two lies in that in Chinese education more emphasis is put on development,whereas in ethnic language education more stress is attached to protection.Protection without development is fruitless and development is the best means of protection.With regard to macro prospect as well as the basic interests of ethnic minorities,there exist no contradictions between Chinese education and ethnic language education in middle and primary schools of ethnic regions,while some conflicts between the two in aspects of time,space and environment can be appropriately avoided through scientific arrangements.