(International observation) Under the epidemic, the global "school season" where hardship and hope coexist

　　China News Service, Beijing, September 1st, title: Under the epidemic, the global "school season" where hardship and hope coexist

　　China News Agency reporter

　　The haze of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has not yet subsided, and countries are ushering in the "school season".

The students interviewed by a reporter from China News Service introduced the local epidemic prevention policy and study arrangements for the new semester. They did not shy away from hardship and anxiety, but talked more about hope.

　United States: School starts amid the tearing of support and opposition to "wear masks and get vaccines"

　　The United States has ushered in the beginning of the school season as the epidemic continues to rebound. Although public health experts have repeatedly urged "wear masks and get vaccinations", since late August, the number of infection cases on campus has increased sharply.

An investigation by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that schools with large-scale confirmed cases of new crowns generally did not comply with the CDC's epidemic prevention and control guidelines.

　　"The school does not require vaccinations or nucleic acid tests (before returning to school)," said McGrady Winfield, a graduate student at the University of Missouri in the United States, describing her school experience to reporters. "You need to wear a mask in the classroom, but in other indoor public The area does not need to be. Some campus club activities do not have any security management, and students continue to hold gatherings after returning to school. The bars in the city are often crowded with people, as are restaurants. Sometimes, everything seems like the epidemic has never happened."

　　Similar situations and feelings of anxiety and frustration exist across the United States. People who demand "strengthening school epidemic prevention" and "anti-masks and anti-vaccination" are forming a new social tear.

Some parents beat teachers because they were dissatisfied with the school’s regulations on mask epidemic prevention, there were protests against the regulations on children wearing masks indoors, and some families transferred to schools because they were dissatisfied with the school’s epidemic prevention regulations...

　　However, Chinese students studying in the United States appear to be more experienced and optimistic.

Xu Feng will return to the United States in the new semester to continue her studies, and her Northeastern University will start school on time and resume offline teaching.

"Compared with other schools, Northeastern University has a slightly stronger awareness of prevention and control. Before enrollment, the school requires a certificate of COVID-19 vaccination. If you choose to vaccinate in the United States, you will get a vaccine card for entering and leaving the school for verification. At present, the verification is not very strict. The school requires students to take a nucleic acid test once a week and wear masks when they are in class indoors."

　　She said that after arriving in the United States, most Chinese students will consciously abide by the basic epidemic prevention rules.

"The Chinese Embassy has also issued an announcement saying that if you have any difficulties, you can contact them. I feel very warm."

　Europe: Sending open letters, intensive shouting, and general elections to vigorously debate campus epidemic prevention policies

　　In the United Kingdom, which was the first to announce the "unblocking", although the government recommended that universities "abolish all epidemic restrictions" in the fall semester, many universities still retain different proportions of online teaching.

At least 20 universities such as University College London and Imperial College London have stated that all major lectures will still be conducted online; Cambridge and Oxford universities have stated that they will retain online examinations; and students from the University of Manchester and the University of Leeds have initiated thousands of A joint action by the People's Republic of China called for a "full resumption of classes."

　　On the eve of the school season, the Secretary of State for University Affairs again issued an open letter to international students, detailing the latest UK vaccination status, back-to-school epidemic prevention, entry quarantine, student visas, etc., and promised that the UK government will vaccinate and issue visas locally "Take flexible measures" on key issues to ensure the study and safety of overseas students.

　　In France, the President, the Minister of Education, and the Minister of Higher Education made an intensive voice on the eve of the school season and announced a series of back-to-school health policies such as vaccination and the use of health certificates.

They stated that they will "as much as possible" to ensure that campus life returns to normal.

　　Officials have announced convenient measures such as "vaccines on campus", but many international students told reporters that in France, policy implementation has "always been discounted" and often "only received verbal urging."

Chen Sanyi, a junior at the University of Paris, said that this year the school will open on time as usual, but the requirement to wear a mask is added.

Although the epidemic in France is not optimistic and the journey back to school has been up and down, he still insists on returning to school to continue his education, only hoping that "all aspects of the organizational arrangements for the new semester will be stable and no major changes will occur suddenly."

　　The "strictest in Europe" epidemic prevention policy for the first school season is still in Germany.

Elementary and secondary schools in the capital Berlin have entered the autumn semester in August.

According to the latest epidemic prevention regulations of the Berlin city government, except for special health reasons, students should in principle attend school. Teachers and students must wear masks in the classroom and undergo nucleic acid tests twice a week.

　　The German federal government is ready to launch a "strengthening shot" of the new crown vaccine to prevent a possible rebound of the epidemic caused by the beginning of the fall school season. However, the epidemic prevention work in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools where children under 12 cannot be vaccinated has become part of the German election debate.

In the live televised debate held a few days ago, the three candidates launched a fierce attack and defense.

However, despite their different political opinions, the three people all believe that the complete "closing of the city" should be avoided again, and the children should no longer be "no school to go to."

　Asia: "Buddha Department" starts step by step

　　In comparison, the "school season" in Asian countries is slightly "Buddha".

Although Japan, South Korea and others are experiencing a rebound from the epidemic, local people generally told reporters that they are not particularly anxious when school starts to work in a step-by-step manner.

　　Schools at all levels in South Korea have begun to start in accordance with the established arrangements of the Ministry of Education. From September 6th, all students will attend the school, but in some areas, the school plan can be adjusted according to the local epidemic situation.

In the metropolitan area where the highest level of anti-epidemic measures are implemented, students of different grades attend classes in accordance with the prescribed proportions, and senior high school students who have been vaccinated against the new crown are not subject to restrictions.

　　In Japan, the current epidemic prevention level corresponding policy is the standard, and each region and school maintains a scale that can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

“I’m in Tokyo, which is still within the emergency declaration period. The school implements corresponding policies and does not allow face-to-face instruction,” said Liu Ziyu, a second-year graduate student at Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan. He has experienced the entire outbreak of the Japanese epidemic since he enrolled in April 2020. In the repeated emergency declarations and releases, it was often that "classes stopped shortly after returning to school" and "a total of three or four months in school in two years."

Regarding the anti-epidemic policy for the new semester, Liu Ziyu observed that there are not many mandatory requirements in the official Japanese anti-epidemic policy, but most people will consciously wear masks, take personal protection, and reduce the movement area.

(End) (Participating reporters: Xiao Xin, Zhang Chenyi, Peng Dawei, Liu Xu, Liu Chao, Li Yingfei)