(Combating New Coronary Pneumonia) China's low-risk areas are returning to school to take steps to prevent risks

China News Agency, Beijing, March 31, title: China's low-risk areas have successively resumed lessons and taken measures to prevent risks

China News Agency reporter Ma Haiyan

This spring's start of school came particularly late. The college entrance examination is postponed, the art exam is postponed ... When schools in a few regions are welcoming resumption, students in most regions are still waiting.

The theme of the press conference of the State Council ’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism held in Beijing on the 31st was “School Resumption in Low Risk Areas”. Chinese officials have given the latest suggestions on how to resume classes for primary and secondary school students, how Chinese students study abroad, and how overseas students study in China to deal with the epidemic.

College entrance examination postponed for one month

The number of Chinese college entrance examination applicants this year was 10.71 million. Affected by the epidemic, the college entrance examination was extended from June to July. Wang Hui, director of the Department of Student Affairs of the Ministry of Education, said that this is mainly based on two considerations: one is "health first" and the other is "fairness first."

At present, the spread of the local epidemic in China has been basically blocked, but the risk of sporadic cases and local outbreaks still exists, and the pressure for epidemic input continues to increase. Health and epidemic prevention experts believe that the college entrance examination is postponed for one month and the risk of epidemic prevention and control is relatively small.

After the outbreak, local schools were postponed to start school and senior high school students were arranged to study at home, and students' review preparations were generally affected. Due to differences in online learning conditions, the review and preparation of students in some rural and poor areas has been more affected. The college entrance examination is postponed for one month, which allows candidates to spend more time studying in the school, thereby ensuring the fairest education.

The college entrance examination is postponed for one month, and the time to fill in the volunteer and admission after the college entrance examination will also be delayed by about one month compared with previous years. According to Wang Hui, undergraduate admissions are expected to end at the end of August, and college admissions are expected to end in mid-September, and the opening hours of colleges and universities will be extended accordingly. It is expected that undergraduate colleges will start in early September to mid-term, and vocational colleges generally begin in early October.

College resumption: wrong level wrong time

Recently, universities in parts of China have begun. On April 1st, Qinghai Province will begin class resumption. On April 8, colleges and universities in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will resume classes one after another. On April 10, the undergraduate, master's and doctoral graduates of universities in Shanxi Province will also resume classes. Starting on April 13, colleges and universities in Jiangsu Province will resume classes one after another.

Wang Dengfeng, director of the Office of the Leading Group of the Ministry of Education's response to the new crown pneumonia epidemic, called this a "retrogressive move," and he acknowledged that it made it harder to prevent and control the epidemic.

Wang Dengfeng emphasized that the first class resumption in colleges and universities should start at the wrong level. First, graduates and graduate students with scientific research tasks should be prioritized. The second is in the wrong area. Students from local students will return to classes first, and students from low-risk areas outside the region will return to classes. Of students do not resume classes temporarily; in addition, classes are resumed at the wrong time. Each university basically completes the return of students of different grades and regions within two weeks.

Primary and secondary schools: Whether extended vacations will affect summer vacation is determined by the school

For elementary and middle school students, how to connect with online learning during the extended holiday period after school is a problem. Wang Dengfeng said that if new lessons are arranged for online learning, the school should organize a series of lectures after school starts. If there are no new courses during the online study period, you will start teaching from scratch.

Do you need to wear a mask when starting school? Wang Dengfeng emphasized that in low-risk areas, classrooms in school classrooms are a gathering place, and you must wear a mask; in outdoor sports fields, you may not wear a mask when there is a large gap between people.

"As for whether extended vacations will affect summer vacations and winter vacations in the future, this situation is determined by each school and local area according to the student's learning and course progress." Wang Dengfeng said.

International Students in China: Do Online Teaching Well

In order to respond to the current epidemic, China currently adopts temporary measures to stop the entry of foreigners with valid Chinese visas and residence permits.

Liu Jin, the director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department of the Ministry of Education, said that for foreign students who are now studying abroad, the Chinese Ministry of Education has required schools in various places to do online teaching, such as online courses; to provide academic support for students at the grade level. Provide guidance and other methods to assist them in completing their thesis.

"At the same time, for international students who are willing to suspend school, drop out of school, or extend their study period, we will assist with relevant procedures." Liu Jin said.

Overseas students: If you have any questions, please contact the embassy

The total number of Chinese students studying abroad is about 1.6 million. Currently, there are about 1.42 million people abroad, of whom 35 have been diagnosed with new coronary pneumonia.

Liu Jin said that the Chinese embassies and consulates abroad provided consular protection to the confirmed overseas students and actively assisted local medical treatment. At present, all overseas students who have been diagnosed abroad are promptly diagnosed and treated, and 11 of them have recovered.

In response to some national governments and schools adopting control measures such as class suspension, school closure, and dormitory closure, some international students are facing visa expiration issues. The Ministry of Education instructs the education departments of embassies and consulates abroad to strengthen communication and negotiations, and urges schools to reasonably arrange the academic life of Chinese students.

At present, more and more countries have introduced stricter immigration control measures. International long-distance travel is facing uncertain itineraries and high risks of infection. Liu Jin recommends that overseas students follow the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the epidemic prevention requirements of various countries. Take precautions to minimize long-distance travel and avoid cross-infection.

"Everybody's more pressing difficulties, such as housing, medical, academic, visa, etc., can keep in touch with the embassies and consulates abroad." Liu Jin said. (Finish)