China Goes Back to School

On a sunny day in September, nearly 2,000 students gathered for the start of school at Hanyang No. 1 High School in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged late last year.

Medical staff stood guard at school entrances, taking temperatures. Administrators reviewed the students’ travel histories and Covid test results. Local Communist Party officials kept watch, making sure teachers followed detailed instructions on hygiene and showed an “anti-epidemic spirit.”

“I’m not worried,” said Yang Meng, a music teacher at the school. “Wuhan is now the safest place.”

As many parts of the U.S. have struggled to reopen schools amid the pandemic, China has harnessed the power of its authoritarian system to offer in-person learning for about 195 million students in kindergarten through 12th grade at public schools.

China is a Communist country, and it has used the government’s vise-like control to implement a rigid system for opening all the nation’s schools. The Communist Party has mobilized battalions of local officials to inspect classrooms, deployed apps and other technology to monitor students and staff, and restricted their movements in ways that would be impossible in the U.S. It has even told parents to stay away for fear of spreading germs.

On a sunny day in September, nearly 2,000 students gathered for the start of school at Hanyang No. 1 High School in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the coronavirus first emerged late last year.

Medical staff stood guard at school entrances, taking temperatures. Administrators looked over the students’ travel histories and Covid test results. Local Communist Party officials kept watch. They ensured teachers followed detailed instructions on hygiene and showed an “anti-epidemic spirit.”

“I’m not worried,” said Yang Meng, a music teacher at the school. “Wuhan is now the safest place.”

Many parts of the U.S. have struggled to reopen schools during the pandemic. Things in China are quite different. The country has used its authoritarian system’s power to offer in-person learning. Its public schools serve about 195 million students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

China is a Communist country. It has used its government’s control to put in place a rigid system for opening all the nation’s schools. The Communist Party has mobilized units of local officials to inspect classrooms. And it’s released apps and other technology to watch students and staff. In fact, their movements have been limited in ways that would be impossible in the U.S. It has even told parents to stay away for fear of spreading germs.

In many ways, China has applied the same heavy-handed model to reopen schools that it has used to bring the virus under control. To stop the epidemic, the authorities imposed harsh lockdowns and deployed invasive technologies to track residents, raising public anger in some places and concerns about the erosion of privacy and civil liberties.

With schools, the government’s effort has in some places been met with similar frustrations. Teachers, who are at times doubling as medical workers, checking for fevers and isolating sick students, say they are exhausted by the new protocols. Students have complained that some policies, such as lockdowns on university campuses, are excessive.

In many ways, China has used the same heavy-handed model to reopen schools that it has used to bring the virus under control. To stop the epidemic, the authorities carried out harsh lockdowns. They’ve also used invasive technologies to track residents. Their actions have raised public anger in some places and concerns about the breakdown of privacy and civil liberties.

With schools, the government’s effort has in some places been met with similar frustrations. Teachers are doubling as medical workers at times. They’re forced to spend time checking for fevers and isolating sick students. They say that the new rules make their jobs more tiring. Students have complained that some policies are excessive. That includes things like lockdowns on university campuses.

China is implementing many of the same measures as countries in Europe and elsewhere where schools have recently reopened. Principals are instructing students and teachers to keep a distance inside classrooms, though seating arrangements remain largely the same. Teachers are trying to keep students separated by grade, assigning specific routes and entrances for different age groups to avoid crowding. In most schools, masks are optional inside classrooms for students and staff.

But China’s approach is also much more demanding, as it has been throughout the pandemic. Students and staff in areas where outbreaks had previously been reported, or who had traveled to areas considered risky, were required to show coronavirus test results before the start of school. Education officials have urged students to avoid “unnecessary outings,” though the rule is unlikely to be enforced. Students are also discouraged from speaking while eating or taking public transportation.

“One heart and one mind to prevent and control the epidemic,” reads a propaganda slogan plastered around school grounds.

China is carrying out many of the same measures as countries in Europe and elsewhere where schools have recently reopened. Principals are instructing students and teachers to keep a distance inside classrooms. Even with these changes, seating arrangements remain largely the same. Teachers are trying to keep students separated by grade. Specific routes and entrances for various age groups have been set to avoid crowding. In most schools, masks are optional inside classrooms for students and staff.

But China’s approach is also much more demanding, as it has been throughout the pandemic. Students and staff in areas where outbreaks had been reported before were required to show coronavirus test results before the start of school. Those who had traveled to areas considered risky had to do the same. Education officials have urged students to avoid “unnecessary outings.” But this rule is unlikely to be enforced. Students are also discouraged from speaking while eating or taking public transportation.

“One heart and one mind to prevent and control the epidemic,” reads a propaganda slogan plastered around school grounds.

The opening of schools has given Xi a propaganda win in a time of slowing economic growth and international criticism over his government’s early cover-up and mishandling of the outbreak (see “The Blame Game,” below). The state-run news media has closely covered America’s difficulties in resuming classes while highlighting China’s progress in getting parents back to work—key to the country’s attempts to drive an economic recovery.

“When parents start a new day at work knowing that their children are well-protected at school,” read a recent commentary by Xinhua, China’s official news agency, “they will be filled with a sense of assurance living in this land where life is a top priority.”

It’s unclear, however, whether the strict measures are sustainable. The government’s blanket rules have provoked anger in some corners. Many schools are short on staff and resources, and educators say they’re struggling to keep up with long lists of virus-control tasks. Some teachers are rising at 4 a.m. just to review protocols.

The opening of schools has given Xi good publicity. That’s been important in a time of slowing economic growth and international criticism over his government’s early cover-up and mishandling of the outbreak (see “The Blame Game,” below). The state-run news media has closely covered America’s difficulties in resuming classes. They’ve contrasted that with China’s progress in getting parents back to work. That success has been key to the country’s attempts to drive an economic recovery.

“When parents start a new day at work knowing that their children are well-protected at school,” read a recent commentary by Xinhua, China’s official news agency, “they will be filled with a sense of assurance living in this land where life is a top priority.”

But it’s unclear whether the strict measures are sustainable. The government’s blanket rules have led to anger in some corners. Many schools are short on staff and resources. Educators also say they’re struggling to keep up with long lists of virus-control tasks. Some teachers are waking up at 4 a.m. just to review protocols.

“There are too many things, and we aren’t compensated,” says Li Mengtian, a teacher at a primary school in the city of Shenzhen. “We need to spend a lot of time and energy on our work.”

At other schools, educators say that officials are blindly following policies to satisfy higher-ups, even if they aren’t effective. Kang Jinzhi, a teacher at a
high school in Jingzhou, a city about 130 miles west of Wuhan, says a thermal camera at the entrance of her school constantly provided inaccurate data, labeling everyone who enters as feverish.

“The machine is useless,” she says. “But the school must set this up because the policies make such demands.”

At public universities, which serve some 33 million students in China, anger has erupted over campus lockdowns that have targeted students while exempting faculty and staff. Officials have also banned students from receiving takeout meals and packages. In recent days, videos have circulated online showing long lines at cafeterias and students trying to hug their dates through campus fences.

“Do you plan to lock us up for life?” complained Pan Sheng, a sophomore at Changshu Institute of Technology in the eastern province of Jiangsu.

“I feel like I’m in high school,” says Pan. “We came to college to gather knowledge and learn how to conduct ourselves in a society, not just sit in class at school every day.”

“There are too many things, and we aren’t compensated,” says Li Mengtian, a teacher at a primary school in the city of Shenzhen. “We need to spend a lot of time and energy on our work.”

At other schools, educators say that officials are blindly following policies to satisfy higher-ups, even if they aren’t effective. Kang Jinzhi is a teacher at a high school in Jingzhou, a city about 130 miles west of Wuhan. She says a thermal camera at the entrance of her school constantly provided inaccurate data. It labeled everyone who entered as feverish.

“The machine is useless,” she says. “But the school must set this up because the policies make such demands.”

Public universities serve some 33 million students in China. Anger has erupted over campus lockdowns. These restrictions have targeted students, but they’ve let faculty and staff off the hook. Officials have also banned students from receiving takeout meals and packages. In recent days, videos have spread online showing long lines at cafeterias and students trying to hug their dates through campus fences.

“Do you plan to lock us up for life?” complained Pan Sheng, a sophomore at Changshu Institute of Technology in the eastern province of Jiangsu.

“I feel like I’m in high school,” says Pan. “We came to college to gather knowledge and learn how to conduct ourselves in a society, not just sit in class at school every day.”

The Chinese government has invested heavily in equipping schools with masks, gloves, infrared thermometers, and other equipment. An elementary school in the eastern city of Xuzhou, for example, said it had 8,000 masks, 400 bottles of hand sanitizer, 440 pounds of alcohol for disinfection, and 1,000 packages of tissues on hand.

The Ministry of Education’s guidelines call for temperatures to be taken at least three times a day and reported to school officials. The rules are tighter in areas that the government sees as particularly vulnerable to an outbreak. In Beijing schools, for example, masks are required at all times.

Despite the hassle of some of the restrictions, many families welcomed the resumption of classes. After months of leading makeshift lessons in their living rooms and nagging their children, parents are relieved to be able to send them back to classes and after-school tutoring programs.

“We controlled the epidemic well, and it will be good for our country,” says Sofia Tang, the mother of a high school freshman in the eastern city of Hangzhou. “If we handled this at all like they are handling it overseas, there would be riots.”

The Chinese government has invested heavily in school preparation. They’ve equipped schools with masks, gloves, infrared thermometers, and other equipment. For example, an elementary school in the eastern city of Xuzhou said it had 8,000 masks, 400 bottles of hand sanitizer, 440 pounds of alcohol for disinfection, and 1,000 packages of tissues on hand.

The Ministry of Education’s guidelines call for temperatures to be taken at least three times a day. All readings must be reported to school officials. The rules are tighter in areas that the government sees as particularly vulnerable to an outbreak. For example, masks are required at all times in Beijing schools.

Despite the hassle of some of the restrictions, many families welcomed classes resuming. For months, parents had to lead makeshift lessons in their living rooms. They’ve spent a lot of time nagging their children. Now, they’re relieved to be able to send them back to classes and after-school tutoring programs.

“We controlled the epidemic well, and it will be good for our country,” says Sofia Tang, the mother of a high school freshman in the eastern city of Hangzhou. “If we handled this at all like they are handling it overseas, there would be riots.”

Javier C. Hernández is a China correspondent for The New York Times.

Javier C. Hernández is a China correspondent for The New York Times.