 Early financial assistance from the North Korean government actually helped to maintain and expand Chinese education; the schools continued operation even during the Korean War, and the era after the cessation of hostilities up to around 1966 was described as a "golden era" for the schools.After that time, the North Korean government began to pursue a policy of reform and indigenisation towards the schools.However, as of the late 1990s, there were still four Chinese middle schools which followed the PRC curriculum.