Stories British public school Harrow has been reportedly forced to drop its famous brand name within China amidst ongoing tightening in the education sector.
Harrow Beijing has notified parents that its bilingual school will be renamed «Lide», according to a «Financial Times» report.
A spokesperson for the school said the change was due to local enforcement of national rules on the naming of private schools that teach Chinese nationals including a ban on the use of foreign names as well as words like «international» or «global»
Harrow Beijing is the most prominent British-affiliated school to have had to alter its branding because of the rules announced last year that ban schools that accept Chinese students from using foreign names in their titles, as well as words like «international» or «global».
A representative for Hong Kong-based Asia International School Limited, which sublicensees Harrow’s brand and takes educational direction from the English school, said the change only applies to bilingual schools and its «vision and educational philosophy» remains unaltered.
Other Harrow-affiliated bilingual schools elsewhere in China still use the British brand but «would be compliant» if requested by local officials.
Education Sector Tightening
The latest change is part of broader tightening by Chinese authorities in the education sector.
Last year, the Chinese government banned profit-making from core children tutoring services, erasing billions of dollars from listed private education providers. Separately, it also tightened restrictions on teaching foreign curricula to students undergoing compulsory education or the first nine years of schooling.
Harrow is a 450-year boarding school that boasts seven British prime ministers amongst its former students including Winston Churchill.
