Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre Added to China’s Required High School Reading List
Ninth-grade students across China are now required to read Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre in full, starting this fall. The novel had long been popular in the country and was already recommended reading for schoolchildren, but the shift to a mandatory full-text requirement marks a new phase in its official status. One report in an official newspaper framed the book as an anti-materialistic love story that young people could learn from. The change places Brontë’s 1847 novel at the center of China’s high school curriculum, affecting students nationwide. The New York Times reported the development on September 28, 2026.
Key facts
- Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is now required reading for ninth-grade students across China.
- The requirement took effect this fall.
- Students must read the novel in full.
- The book was already recommended reading for schoolchildren in China before the change.
- An official newspaper report described Jane Eyre as an anti-materialistic love story suitable for young people.
- The New York Times reported the curriculum change on September 28, 2026.
- The novel has long been popular in China.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- The New York Times
Locations
- China