British private schools in China under threat as new ‘patriotic’ law comes in

Primary school pupils read the patriotic education law in Huai’an, China. Photograph: Cynthia Lee/Alamy

A new “patriotic” education law is set to put a squeeze on British schools in China as Beijing steps up its efforts to tighten control of what is taught in its classrooms.

Less than five years ago, the Chinese and British media were full of reports about the “boom years” of British education in China. Elite British schools had seized the commercial opportunity of opening campuses to cater to wealthy Chinese families and the children of expats, and were opening new branches at a rapid clip.