Barring native-speaking Chinese students from enrolling in Chinese as a Second Language during the VCE is unlikely to be discrimination, Victoria's human rights watchdog has declared.

There are concerns students with no Chinese heritage are being deterred from studying the language because of fierce competition from classmates who speak it at home.

Barring native Chinese speakers from Chinese as a Second Language is unlikely to amount to discrimination. Credit:Brendan Esposito

This has led to just 400 non-Chinese speaking students taking up Year 12 Chinese in Australian schools.

But it is hoped advice from the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission prompts an overhaul of the state's rules.