As the COVID-19 epidemic subsides in China, more students in Shanghai are returning to campus to prepare for major exams, He Qi and Zhou Wenting report.
Students at the No 1 Senior Middle School Affiliated with East China Normal University in Shanghai return to school for classes on April 27. Schools designate the first class for students to be about psychological health. (PHOTO BY CAO ZICHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY)
It has been more than one week since Qin Hongyu, a senior student at the No 1 Senior Middle School Affiliated with East China Normal University in Shanghai, returned to school for classes.
"It has been wonderful being back in school where I can meet my teachers and classmates. It gives me more motivation to learn," she says.
"It's a pity that we cannot intimately chat with each other after such a long time of separation, but the strict epidemic prevention makes us feel very safe," she adds.
My classmates and I cherish this hardearned opportunity to go back to school. After all, our days to attend classes in high school are numbered
Qin Hongyu, a senior student in Shanghai
"Also, my classmates and I cherish this hard-earned opportunity to go back to school. After all, our days to attend classes in high school are numbered."
Qin is among the 150,000 students in their final year of middle or high school in Shanghai who resumed on-campus classes on April 27 after nearly 100 days of school closure due to the winter break and the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The students, who have been away from school since mid-January, will take their entrance exams to senior high schools and colleges in late June and early July, respectively.
All other students, except those of grades 1 to 3 and kindergartners, will have resumed classes in school by May 18, according to the city's education commission.
Shanghai is one of many cities across the mainland that have reopened school campuses to students as the outbreak subsides.
Students at the No 1 Senior Middle School Affiliated with East China Normal University in Shanghai return to school for classes on April 27. Schools designate the first class for students to be about psychological health. (PHOTO BY CAO ZICHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY)
"Reopening the schools has been one of our top priorities to help the senior students adapt to the intense preparation required for the national college entrance examination," says Lu Jing, director of the Shanghai municipal education commission.
"We decided to resume offline classes on April 27 to ensure all graduating students have at least two full months in school to prepare for their graduation exams."
Besides mandating the use of facemasks, regularly disinfecting campuses, measuring body temperatures and ensuring that every person in the school practices hand sanitization, schools have also been trying to minimize the psychological impact that the pandemic might have on the students.
"Even though we have strict health standards and epidemic-control measures, the school has not placed too many posters regarding contagion control on the walls as we want to make students feel relaxed when returning to the school," says Wang Sui, vice-president of the No 1 Junior Middle School Affiliated with East China Normal University.
Students of the No 1 Senior Middle School Affiliated with East China Normal University in Shanghai have their temperatures taken at the entrance of the school. (PHOTO BY CAO ZICHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY)
The school welcomed the first batch of 102 final-year students on April 27. Teachers say that as there are fewer than 20 students in each of the six classes, social distancing rules can be easily followed. Only one class is allowed to have physical education lessons at a time on the playground, the school in Hongkou district says.
To prepare the students for the changes brought about by the epidemic-control measures, the school instructed teachers to host online discussions with students two weeks ahead of its reopening.
"The teachers and students have also had many discussions about heartwarming incidents related to the novel coronavirus outbreak," Wang says.
The city's education authority also designated the first class for students who resume school in Shanghai to be about psychological health.
Students regularly sanitize their hands. (PHOTO BY CAO ZICHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY)
Qin recalls that the highlight of her first day back in school was hearing the principal speak about the need to be brave and self-disciplined in the face of challenges such as the pandemic and exams.
Qin says she and most of her classmates have had to readjust to life back in school following a prolonged period away. She even went to see a counselor in early February when everyone was quarantined at home.
"I was expecting to go back to school after one month of winter break. While classes did resume on Feb 17 with four online courses per day, it was hard for me to get used to studying at home without the presence of my classmates," she says.
Students exercise during breaks. (PHOTO BY CAO ZICHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY)
"In the beginning, my pace of learning at home was slow. But the situation improved after I spoke with the counselor. I also realized that I could use the time I saved on the commute between home and school to do housework, improve my relationship with family members or read books that I usually don't have the time for."
Qin says she also felt anxious about the government's decision to postpone the college entrance exam, also known as the gaokao, by a month to July 7 to 8.
"I was very anxious because I know the weather might be uncomfortably hot and this might affect how I perform. But after reflecting on this, I think we're actually lucky to have an extra month to prepare for the exams," she says.
Contact the writers at heqi@chinadaily.com.cn
