Rising numbers of private school owners in China have been forced to give their institutions to the state as the fallout from Beijing’s abrupt education overhaul ripples across the country, reported the Financial Times.
Over the past three months, city authorities have taken over at least 13 for-profit primary and middle schools as well as one high school without providing compensation, according to public records and Financial Times interviews.
“I didn’t have a choice,” said the owner of a school who handed it over to state controllers last week.
China has almost 190,000 private schools, educating more than 56 million, or one-fifth of all students, according to official figures. There are more than 12,000 primary and middle schools. “The top leaders do not believe private schools serve the greater good,” said a Beijing-based government adviser. “Public education does.”
