French citizens living in Vietnam called colons feared that they might lose their jobs to the educated Vietnamese. So, they opposed policies that would give the Vietnamese full access to French education. There was another problem for the French in the sphere of education. The elites in Vietnam were powerfully influenced by Chinese culture. To consolidate their power, the French had to counter this Chinese influence. So, they systematically dismantled educational system and established French schools for the Vietnamese. But this was not easy. Chinese, the language used by the elites so far, had to be replaced with Vietnamese or French. There were two opinions in this regard. Some were in favour of the French language as the medium of instruction. Others were opposed to French being the only medium of instruction. They suggested that Vietnamese be taught in lower classes and French in the higher classes. But this was opposed when introduced in schools. As the numbers of Vietnamese teachers increased in the lower classes, it became difficult to control what was actually taught. While teaching, vietnamese teachers quietly modified the text and criticised what was stated.