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China Requires Full “Jane Eyre” Reading for Ninth Graders

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 3:36 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

China mandates ninth-grade students read the novel “Jane Eyre” in full this fall.
The novel has been recommended reading for Chinese schoolchildren for decades.
UC San Diego professor Ping Zhu says the novel fits the government’s view of women’s equality.
Zhu adds it promotes independence without excessively challenging patriarchal power.
The curriculum change coincides with China’s push for marriage and higher birth rates amid population decline.

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Story summary

China mandates ninth-grade students read the novel “Jane Eyre” in full this fall.
The novel has been recommended reading for Chinese schoolchildren for decades.
UC San Diego professor Ping Zhu says the novel fits the government’s view of women’s equality.
Zhu adds it promotes independence without excessively challenging patriarchal power.
The curriculum change coincides with China’s push for marriage and higher birth rates amid population decline.