Inner Mongolians persist their movement against a new curriculum that scales back mother-tongue education, as the Chinese authorities continue to crack down on striking students, families and officials of Mongolian descent with various means, including withdrawing social assistance, suspending loans, issuing fines, terminating employment and threatening expulsion.

Han Lianchao, a pro-democracy activist based in the U.S., tweeted on Monday a document issued by authorities in the county of Abag Banner. It ordered Mongolia parents to send their children to school within three days and demanded schools to reach 100% attendance rate by Wednesday.

Schools in the area will be ranked by attendance rate and officials responsible for schools with the lowest attendance rate will face repercussions. Each individual class and grade will also be ranked by their attendance rate. Teachers of lowest-ranked classes will be barred from promotion and see their evaluation results affected for three years, while highest-ranked educators will receive a bonus.

Secondary school students who are not covered by the nine-year compulsory education will be expelled, while those who are covered but fail to show up in class will be classified as dropping out and their legal guardians will face legal consequences.

Temporary staff hired by different government units will have their contracts terminated unless they send their children to school by Sep. 14. Banks will suspend loans to parents who refuse to send their children to school, while government authorities will also suspend allowance to the disabled, subsidies to nomads and social assistance to lower income families that continue to participate in the class boycott.

Banners and counties under the Xilingol League also issued a government order, demanding parents to send their children back to schools for compulsory education. Those who defy the order will face a penalty ranging from RMB$500 (US$73) to RMB$5,000 (US$733) in addition to legal consequences. At least one rural credit cooperative has declared they would suspend loans to herders, whose children are on strike.

In one country of Bairin Right Banner, a school sent an emergency alert to students via WeChat, urging them to report to school by noon of Sep. 13 or risk facing expulsion.

At Horqin Right Middle Banner, schools can receive a bonus of RMB$50,000 (US$7330) to RMB$80,000 (US$11,728) with an attendance rate of over 90%. Principals will be suspended and teachers will take a pay cut if their schools fail to meet this requirement and local officials will also need to submit a written review.

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