February 21 was supposed to be the day that students return to school for the new spring semester. However, all students except seniors stay at home, taking online classes due to pandemic prevention policies. Compared with the past, this year some special arrangements are added to the class schedule.

According to the schedules posted by students at multiple grades from different schools, there is an around 30-minute period allocated for housework. The housework includes cleaning the room, washing vegetables, cooking meals, and mopping the floor, said Li Yucheng, a head teacher of Jintian Primary School.

The faculty of Jintian Primary School prepared for classes together online, communicating and assigning work via video meetings.“Since students and teachers have experience in taking online courses before, this time they show better adaptability and fluency,” Li said.

A new round of online classes witness much understanding and support from families and schools. Parents help their kids fetch textbooks from schools in staggered hours, teachers are equipped with adequate online resources, and after a long period of vacation, students feel excited about resuming regular study.

However, as is clearly stated by the municipal education bureau, while schools are required to control the time for online learning, they are not allowed to require compulsory online clocking in or video uploads of the learning process. (Panjiang Xiuyue)