Q&A - Part 21
(Continued from May 19, 2020)
Q28: Why can students keep learning amid class suspension in China?
A: There are three main reasons that students in China can keep learning amid class suspension.
First, China’s network infrastructure has a wide coverage and a fast speed. According to the China Internet Network Information Center and Global Competitiveness Report 2019, the number of Chinese Internet users reached 854 million in June 2019, occupying 61.2% of the population. In terms of network speed, according to Speedtest Global Index, China’s mobile network speed ranked 11th among 140 economies, and its fixed- bandwidth network speed ranked 24th among 176 economies in Feb. 2020.
Second, in terms of accessibility, China makes efforts to ensure that students in remote areas can share high- quality online resources via internet or cable television. In addition to network platforms, students can also study at the places with internet access under the organization of relevant authorities or learn online through cable television. For the students in remote areas out of the coverage of cable television, the government has set up an exclusive education channel broadcast by satellite television. The government also organizes proficient teachers from public schools to record courses and provide online instructions, which greatly enriches online education resources.
Third, in terms of affordability, the government encourages schools and telecom operators to reduce online learning costs. Under the guidance of the government, schools and telecom operators have respectively implemented supportive incentives. The Ministry of Education coordinated highquality primary and secondary schools in Beijing and Shanghai to open their online learning resources to the public for free during the extended break. The three major telecom operators in China introduced promotions to reduce or even exempt students’ the cost of data from online learning. These measures helped ensure that students would not stop learning because of expenditure concerns.
Fourth, internet platforms actively participate in facilitating online education. Internet giants seized the opportunity to leverage their platform advantages and actively participated in online education. For example, Tencent Education provides free services to students. Alibaba has also launched a programme entitled “Class at Home” through Youku and DingDing. Tomorrow Advancing Life ( TAL) Educat i o n G roup provides free live broadcast platform and technical support to primary and secondary schools in China, covering more than 300 schools in 49 cities and counties across the country.