China: 10 cities ban students&teachers from traveling in May Day

Senior high school students in Beijing resume classes on April 27, 2020. (Photo: China Daily)

With the May Day holiday approaching, education regulators of at least 10 cities in three provinces have asked students and teachers not to leave their own cities to travel during the holiday.

Huaibei: Education authorities of Huaibei in East China's Anhui Province released a notice on Sunday, saying that students and teachers are not permitted to travel to other cities and must avoid contact with people from the COVID-19 hard-hit regions and overseas returnees, and especially avoid gatherings. 

Xuancheng: The announcement was made after Xuancheng, another city in the province, made a similar decision to guarantee the epidemic does not spread. The city stipulated that those facing special circumstances who have to leave the city must report their journeys in advance, and can only return to schools after testing and isolation with certificates. 

Central China's Henan Province has applied a wider range of restrictions in six cities over the holiday period. 

Xuchang: Students and faculty in schools in Xuchang were asked to sign a letter of commitment promising not to move across regions. Students and teachers in Jiaozuo were also banned from leaving the city by principle.

Zhoukou: The city of Zhoukou has banned all faculty and students from traveling and dining out in groups, and schools that have resumed classes will not have holidays. 

Photo taken on April 21, 2020 shows the temperature detector at the entrance of a middle school in east China's Shanghai. In Shanghai, classes for senior students in middle and high schools will resume on April 27. Those schools have been actively making full preparations for the reopening to ensure the safety of the students and teachers. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Some analysts said although the rules vary from place to place, it is clear that in general, students and teachers are not encouraged to travel during the holiday. 

The moves are only for the sake of students' health and safety, Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow at the National Institute of Education Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday. He noted that both Anhui and Henan have a long border with the hard-hit Hubei Province, which still has 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The two provinces have the largest education populations in China and all kinds of schools at all levels will resume after the holiday. Therefore, asking both teachers and students to stay at home and avoid cross-regional travel is understandable, he said, noting that policies must be made in accordance with the local conditions.

Photo taken on April 21, 2020 shows a warehouse storing epidemic prevention and control materials at a middle school in east China's Shanghai. In Shanghai, classes for senior students in middle and high schools will resume on April 27. Those schools have been actively making full preparations for the reopening to ensure the safety of the students and teachers. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Hangzhou: Moreover, some cities have cancelled the holiday for students as school has just been resumed. Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province said cancellation of the holiday is a way to ensure enough time for school teaching.  

Ma'anshan: On April 23, the education authority of Ma'anshan in Anhui announced that the holiday was cancelled, as some students will return to school on Sunday, and many had come from all over the province. Cancelling the holiday could also reduce the risk of infection while taking public transportation.

Henan and Anhui had zero cases as of Sunday while Zhejiang has 10 imported cases recorded.

Secondary schools ensure safety of third-graders as classes resume

A staff member monitors the body temperatures of students walking into a teaching building of No. 6 high school in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, April 26, 2020. The city's middle and high schools students have returned to schools. (Photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING -- Secondary schools in China have made full preparation to create a safe and sound environment for third-graders after class resumption, said an official with the Ministry of Education.

Some grades of primary and secondary schools in all provincial-level areas in China have decided to resume classe, said Wang Dengfeng, director of the MOE leading group office on the COVID-19 response, noting the estimated intensive classes resumption in May will be a big test for education authorities.

Education organs have ordered differentiated schedules for primary and secondary schools to start new semesters, allowing senior students to resume classes in advance, Wang said, adding that more students will be back to campus as more epidemic containment measures are in place. Enditem

A disinfection robot works at a classroom in a middle school in east China's Shanghai, April 21, 2020. In Shanghai, classes for senior students in middle and high schools will resume on April 27. Those schools have been actively making full preparations for the reopening to ensure the safety of the students and teachers. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Most of the junior and senior high schools that have resumed operations have only allowed the return of third-graders as they are facing admission tests for senior high schools or universities, said Wang Dengfeng, director of the ministry's leading group office on the COVID-19 response, in an interview.

Wang said apart from regular epidemic prevention and control measures, the schools have made careful arrangements for the students' study, exam preparation, as well as psychological counseling if needed.

Firefighters carry out disinfection to the lecture hall at the No. 23 Senior High School in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 22, 2020. Nearly 30 firefighters on Wednesday carried out comprehensive disinfection to No. 23 Senior High School in Wuhan and No.1 Senior High School in Huangzhou District of Huanggang. Central China's Hubei Province, which was hit hard by COVID-19, announced that students in the final year of senior high schools in the province will restart classes on May 6.Photo:Xinhua

While local authorities are considering full resumption of schools, priority has been given to third-graders to ensure they can study safely and uninterruptedly, Wang added.

Source: Global Times, by Wang Qi; Xinhua

Related Info@IJOBINCHINA

what if foreigners in China are confirmed/suspected of Covid-19?

University students should stay on campus to halt virus spread

Macao: Nucleic Acid Testing plan for Teaching&Non-teaching Staff

IJOBINCHINA

 

Click “Read more” below to apply for  an ideal job in China NOW！