A private school in Guangzhou has apologized after saying it would only accept students whose parents are university graduates.

Canadian Foreign Language School, a bilingual institute in the Guangdong provincial capital, posted the message on WeChat and on an electronic display board at its entrance on Friday.

The message led to outrage among netizens, with some accusing the school of class discrimination.

"We sincerely apologize," the school said in a statement on Tuesday. "Our intention was to introduce quality education with a win-win for the school and for families. Considering various actual conditions, we withdrew the notice on the day."

The school, part of the Canadian International Educational Organization, which was set up in 2000, provids primary school and junior high school education in Guangzhou.

The education authority in Panyu district said private schools do have the autonomy to decide which students they accept, but it added that Canadian Foreign Language School's message was against the principle of equality.

The school's management team has been ordered to stop sending out the wrong message and to regulate its recruitment practices, the authority said.