Solve for Variables: When Do You Think School Will Reopen?

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Aside from the ostensible human toll that Covid-19 has taken on China’s local and expat communities, the one conversation which has dominated recent weeks is the conversation about when school will return to normal.

We’ve been working hard to check all of the Ministry of Education’s social media platforms, as well as local education departments, to ensure that everyone has the information they need as soon as it’s confirmed. To stay up on all that, follow our blog here.

But alas, no such news is yet to break.

So in the meantime, we thought we’d conduct a poll.

Cast your vote and share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Latest Updates:

(2/24 10.50 am) Unfortunately, at the time of writing, there have been no new updates about schools reopening from either the Ministry of Education (MOE) or local authorities. Check back regularly though, as we are continuing to monitor all relevant websites and social media platforms while the situation develops.

(2/21 2.15 pm) According to an email sent to parents, Beijing City International School (BCIS) has decided not to cancel Spring Break, scheduled to take place from March 30-April 6, for two reasons; "i) students, teachers and parents have been working extremely hard to adapt to the online learning environment and engage in high-quality learning experiences. Everybody will need a well-deserved break to rest and reflect before resuming learning after the holiday. ii) The logistics of re-opening our campus and returning to normal school life will take time. It will take time for our teachers to arrange flights and travel back to China, and to get settled back into their homes in Beijing. As things currently stand, they will then need to complete 14 days of self-quarantine. We, therefore, will also need the Spring Break as a time for teachers to relocate back to Beijing"

(2/21 12.55 pm) 3e International School began home learning on Feb 5. In an email to parents, 3e Head of School, Mr. Gary Bradshaw, stated, "The home learning feedback so far has been positive, with families uploading wonderful videos and pictures of their children at work and at play. It has been really amazing to see the level of support, collaboration and commitment the teachers have shown in the face of this challenge. The government authorities have been very clear with all the schools that we will not return until they say it is clear to do so. We have asked them specifically to give us sufficient notice so families and staff can return to Beijing in time. The school is not in a position to make any decisions on this until we have clarity of the extent and duration of this situation. Any decisions made, will be done in conjunction with the wider 3e community, staff and families and at the appropriate time."

(2/21 9.27 am) Citing a meeting held on Feb 20, Beijing Daily announced that, "According to the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC, schools are required to encourage students not to leave home or return to school, and strengthen campus closure management."

(2/20 4.25 pm) On Feb 19, the Ministry of Education (MOE) published a series of opinions released by the CPC Central Committee and State Council that encourages education institutions to, amongst other things, improve and refine established procedures as new details about Covid-19 and its containment efforts emerge, strengthen the bonds between education administrators and party leadership on both a local and national level, and strengthen supervision and management of staff, students, and parents.

(2/20 10.30 am) Canadian International School of Beijing's (CISB) Head of School and Superintendent, Douglas K. Prescott, sent a notice to parents stating that despite their constant communication with the Education Bureau and local authorities, there is still no news regarding when school will reopen.
Prescott also cited various options to make up for lost in-class time when school resumes, including; the extension of school days, the removal of early dismissal on Fridays, adjusting the length of lunch breaks, canceling field trips, and summer school, amongst other options. To read the full statement, click here.

(2/19 7.01pm) Early March Start Rumor Squashed: The Beijing Municipal Education Commission shot down a rumor circulating today stating that primary and middle schools would open in early March. At present, prevention and control of the epidemic is the top priority, the commission said via its official Weibo account, and thus it is still too early to tell when schools will restart.

Photos: unsplash

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