Education authorities in Shanghai have re-confirmed government rules that will curb the use of imported curricula in International Schools.
The city’s Municipal Education Commission met with the heads of 21 international and bilingual schools and instructed them in the need to alter their curricula.
There has been no official statement as to why the restrictions are to be enforced, but the news coincides with policymaker’s increasing concerns over the rise of international schools using Western curricula and the erosion of Chinese culture in the classroom.
Education authorities told school heads that international teaching components must comply with government rules on “national education”, i.e. Chinese history, the constitution and morals.
State run Xinhua News Agency criticised the schools for violating Chinese law and the school regulators for allowing the violations.
Parents sometimes see international schools’ curricula as superior to the more rigid one taught in mainstream Chinese schools and believe that this may give their children the advantage when applying to further study abroad.
An education consultant who spoke with Caixin Online informed parents that primary schools will likely see the most drastic changes, mainly affecting children aged between 3 and 12.
These policy changes will have no bearing upon schools with no Chinese students.
