Like most senior high school students in China, 17-year-old Liu Yu, from Yantai Development Zone Senior High School, Shandong, had planned to resume her studies earlier this year to prepare for the upcoming gaokao.
However, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced in late January that the spring term for all schools would be put off due to the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, forcing students like Liu to stay at home.
Rather than falling behind their original plan, Liu and many others have already begun studying full-time again – only from home – in what may have become the largest online teaching trial the country has ever seen.
To go with students' new learning environment, a "cloud platform" was launched on Feb 17 to provide students in elementary and secondary schools with education resources covering all major school subjects, noted Lü Yugang, head of the ministry's Department of Basic Education. "Students will be able to attend classes online or study via television," he told China Daily.
For students in remote or rural areas with poor internet accessibility (获取), a television channel by China Education Television started airing classes on Feb 17 so they can study at home, Xinhua News Agency reported.
But the online platform and TV channel don't just offer school knowledge. Students can also learn about epidemic (流行病) prevention and control tips during the period, and receive education on patriotism, life and psychological health, according to a guideline issued by the MOE.
For some students, the chance to study from home has had some unexpected benefits. Yuan Siyi, who lives in Hubei province, used to get up before 6 am on school days, but since starting online courses, she gets more hours of sleep each morning. "I like online teaching because I have more freedom at home," Yuan, who began her all-day courses on Feb 3, told TEENS.
However, online teaching and learning has its weaknesses compared to studying in a physical classroom. "My motivation to study is stronger when my classmates are around me and all working very hard," Yuan said. According to the MOE, online courses are only temporary measures taken during the epidemic." When the new term begins, schools will not replace classroom teaching with online classes," Lü added.
