SHENZHEN plans to build six to eight more international schools in Futian, Bao’an and Longgang districts, Pingshan and Longhua new areas and Qianhai by 2020.

    The move is meant to meet the increasing demand for education from the city’s expats and their children, according to statements made at a meeting of Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau.

    Prosen International Education Group will cooperate with North London Collegiate School to set up North London Shenzhen School in Futian District. Pingshan New Area will build an international school in Kengzi Subdistrict. In Qianhai, the 15-square-kilometer Shenzhen and Hong Kong modern service cooperation zone, two or three international schools, which will offer around 3,000 seats combined, will be built.

    Between 2015 and 2017, the city hopes to have schools that offer both the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and International General Certificate of Secondary Education courses.

    Currently, there are eight international schools in Shenzhen, most of them located in Nanshan District. There are about 16,000 children from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and 6,500 children from other countries studying in Shenzhen schools.

    (Han Ximin)