Introduction

Most countries in the world are multiethnic and thus face a similar educational challenge. ¹ They must convince their citizens, as well as the global community, that state-sponsored schooling ensures equal opportunities for all ethnic groups, promotes the economic development of poor ethnic minority regions, permits ethnic groups to practice cultural autonomy and builds inter-ethnic unity. ² Educational systems expand in reaction to a market of demands. Individuals and employers demand practical skills, social groups demand status culture, and the state demands national unity and social control. ³ Representations of ethnic culture in school curricula are greatly affected by the market of demands. Within China, the market is heavily influenced by the state. Though the demand of ethnic minorities for schools to elevate the status of their culture within the national framework is ubiquitous, the actual content of schooling reflects the state's view of ethnic inter-group processes. Hence, a great deal can be learned about the People's Republic of China by studying how it schools its many ethnic groups, represents their heritage, socializes them into a national identity, structures their educational opportunities and links their schooling to economic development.