China issues guidelines banning foreign teaching materials in schools

China’s Ministry of Education published guidelines earlier this month that ban the use of foreign teaching materials in primary, middle and high schools, reports the Bookseller.

Private schools and high schools run in cooperation with overseas institutions are exempt from the policy, which the ministry said would help ensure materials ‘reflect the will of the party and the state’.

The UK Publishers Association said it is ‘closely monitoring the situation’.

‘The announcement does not include a clear definition on the term “textbook” so it is not clear which books will be included in this policy: each province and city will have to decide how to enact the ban,’ said Publishers Association external affairs director Dan Conway. ‘We understand that books that are jointly published by Chinese and UK publishers are not considered a foreign book, nor are books licensed to a Chinese publisher by a UK publisher.’

Conway added: ‘Although controlling textbook use is not a new concept in China, dating back to the Chinese Compulsory Education Law of 2006, this latest development is something we will continue to monitor closely.’

Category: International news