Beijing Bans Foreign Textbooks in Schools

The city of Beijing has prohibited the use of foreign textbooks in classrooms for primary and junior high school students.

The ban is being implemented by the Ministry of Education to implement “a practical improvement of teaching materials” in schools, according to a document published by the Ministry of Education on August 9.

Schools will use textbooks based on the national curriculum. Approved textbooks for use by students will be selected by educational organizations in each of Beijing’s districts.

All teaching materials for both primary and junior high schools must follow state education guidelines.

A ban on foreign textbooks was first mentioned in a national regulation on the management of school teaching materials in January 2020. It is reported that the implementation of said policy will help improve teaching quality, build academic autonomy and protect the copyright of overseas books.

Although policies are implemented at a national level, different municipal governments apply different degrees of severity, hence the total ban in Beijing but not in other cities.

This is one of many recent changes to the education system in China, as the government has recently begun to reform the private education sector in a bid to lower the cost of starting a family.

[Cover image via Pixabay]