A clampdown on foreign influence in the Chinese education system is placing fresh pressure on independent schools looking to expand their links in the country, the Financial Times reports.
The paper reports that authorities want to halve the number of children educated privately and says that a slowdown in the setting up of private schools for Chinese nationals is partly due to restrictions on new visas for teachers from overseas.
The reforms follow recent curbs on private tutoring services.
In May, the central government stopped approving new private schools for the compulsory years of education. Meanwhile, some provincial authorities are imposing controls on the curriculum and the use of foreign textbooks in private schools.
The government policy does not explicitly target bilingual schools or schools for dual nationals, but some have nonetheless been affected.
Steve Allen, head of the LEH International school in Foshan, Guangdong province, which is affiliated to Lady Eleanor Holles school in south-west London, said he was on track to open for Chinese foreign passport holders in September with an initial intake of up to 75 pupils.
However, he added that some parents had been slow to commit to the school given the challenges in obtaining visas for non-Chinese teachers, partly the result of Covid restrictions, as well as a broader limitation on granting visas for teachers’ spouses.
“We are seeing a lot of inquiries and applications from families but when it comes to accepting the offer, there is hesitation. That’s the bit that’s changed,” he told the Financial Times.