Jiangsu's Department of Education and Department of Civil Affairs have jointly issued tentative measures affecting the administration of schools for the children of expats, local media reported on May 12.

The new policy, which will take effect on July 1, says foreign institutions, foreign-owned enterprises and international organizations working in China may apply to open schools for children of foreigners to offer pre-school, elementary and secondary education using foreign educational models.

The Department of Education will be responsible for the coordination, policy guidance, approval and annual inspection of such schools in the province. Educational authorities in cities with subordinate districts will take charge of planning, approval, supervision and administration of schools in those cities. Meanwhile, the Department of Civil Affairs will be responsible for registering a school's establishment, change or cancellation, supervision and inspection work.

The regulations say the schools should enroll mainly children of foreigners who reside in Jiangsu legally, and cannot enroll or offer training to children of Chinese nationals. Subject to the approval of the educational department in cities with subordinate districts, the school can admit children of residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, children of Chinese nationals residing abroad and of overseas high-level skilled professionals working in the province, as appropriate.

During the Conference on Further Opening-up in Suzhou convened earlier this year, Suzhou put forward the plan to keep improving the level of modernization and internationalization of the city's education system, build 15 new schools for foreign nationals, Sino-foreign cooperative educational institutions and internationalized schools within three years, and formulate an international curriculum system that accommodates both local and international needs.