Following the spread of the SARS-like virus in China, MOE has issued a notice to require the education system to do whatever it can in preventing and controlling it.
Woman wearing a surgical mask. Image credit: Photo by tam wai/Unsplash
The notification requires that localities and educational institutions should actively participate in joint prevention and control, pay close attention to the outbreak of teachers and students, grasp information in a timely and accurate manner, actively obtain professional guidance, detect the symptoms as early as possible and report so that treatment can be done at an in time. They are also asked to cooperate with health and other departments to focus on treatment. Treat patients, effectively deal with the epidemic, and strictly implement non-proliferation measures.
The notice requires that localities and schools should strengthen their sense of responsibility, be on duty during the Spring Festival and winter holidays, and pay close attention to the key links of prevention and control. They are required not to organize gatherings and implement the various requirements for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in schools.
The notice emphasizes that colleges and universities, must take initiative to participate in scientific research and cooperate with science, health and other related professional institutions to tackle the problem. Organize and guide relevant university experts to play an active role in scientific publicity and the promotion of epidemic protection knowledge.
Before the start of the spring semester, localities and schools should focus on the prevention and control of infectious diseases such as pneumonia caused by new Coronavirus, organize health campaigns and improve school environmental sanitation in all aspects. Promote the overall action of improving environmental sanitation in key areas and places such as classrooms, dormitories, canteens, sports venues, libraries, toilets, etc., maintain indoor air circulation, and create hygienic, campus environment.
Other than that online institution such as NetEase Youdao, Math Planet (迈思星球), TAL, Changingedu (轻轻家教), Afanti (阿凡题) and others have announced to provide free courses in Wuhan.
Netease Youdao said that it will provide systematic free of cost winter vacation courses to all primary and secondary schools in Wuhan from now on. According to the company, all primary and secondary school students in Wuhan can apply for free full-class winter vacation courses in appropriate grades with student ID information.
Math Planet, preschool children's mathematical thinking firm, also announced yesterday that Wuhan students can receive their courses for free.
TAL’s stated that its live cloud system will be open to all education and training institutions for free until the epidemic is over. The live cloud system can help educational institutions set up online live lessons so that students can study online at home.
Due to this educational intuitions will have to prolong the winter vocations. Under the circumstance that children's education cannot be delayed and their health cannot be compromised, online education may become the direction for parents to shift their goals. In addition, some offline institutions have already shifted their focus to online courses.
Different from 2003, when China was struck by SARS, online education was not universal. Nowadays, online education has become popular, and many offline institutions are also deploying OMO (online-moves-offline) models, as well as mature B-end live broadcast platforms. Even brands that do not have their own live broadcast platform can still use online broadcast tools to teach online. It is true that under the epidemic situation, how to correctly and efficiently respond to various unexpected problems is the test that every training institution must face.