Tang Jiafeng, an associate professor at the School of Science, Nanjing Tech University, has long been deeply involved in frontline teaching and proposition research for postgraduate entrance mathematics exams. He has served as a member of the grading team for the postgraduate entrance mathematics exam for over ten consecutive years. Recently, he publicly voiced his suggestion that the status of English as a core subject in China's basic education system should be lowered.
Tang Jiafeng published an article elaborating on his viewpoint, With more countries around the world now learning Chinese, and ordinary people having access to numerous efficient intelligent translation tools for consulting foreign-language materials, the scenarios where English is actually used in daily work and life are few and far between for the vast majority of learners. It is indeed time to adjust the core-subject status of English.
Many netizens strongly agree with his viewpoint, bluntly stating that the current model of nationwide investment of significant time and energy into learning English yields a completely disproportionate return on investment. Spending over a decade from elementary school to university on English studies, only for the vast majority to find no practical use for it after graduation and entering the workforce, instead crowds out time for native language learning and other more practical skills. This is essentially a massive waste of educational resources.
However, a considerable number of netizens hold a clear opposing view, arguing that mastering English allows direct, barrier-free access to the world's most cutting-edge academic materials and diverse cultural content, greatly expanding one's horizons. The learning logic of different languages is inherently interconnected, and there is no irreconcilable contradiction between mastering Chinese and English; both can be pursued simultaneously.
Regarding this highly discussed public topic, relevant officials from the Ministry of Education have previously responded directly to public questions about English curriculum settings. While the current domestic English teaching system is indeed undergoing continuous optimization and reform, the important status of English within the basic education system will not be replaced in the short term. At this stage, students still need to prioritize English studies to build a more complete personal knowledge framework.
Behind this nationwide debate lies essentially a deep reflection by the public on the efficiency of educational resource allocation. Future educational reforms are unlikely to take the extreme route of abolishing English as a core subject across the board. Instead, adjustments will likely move towards a layered and categorized approach, allowing students with different developmental paths to choose an appropriate intensity of English study based on their individual needs, so that not everyone has to expend excessive and unnecessary time and energy on high-difficulty English exam points they will never actually use.