Nearly 200 million children across China began the second semester on February 17, but the school day was completely different before the Chinese New Year holiday.

They did not salute the flag and sing the national anthem, but watched through the screen. In some areas, too many students are watching at the same time causing congestion. All language arts, English, math and science classes are online. A middle school boy sat at a computer at his door in Beijing. When asked what subject he was studying, the boy answered: gymnastics.

Most Chinese schools were set to reopen on February 17, but instead, they switched to an online teaching system, when the Covid-19 epidemic was still raging in the country. Many parents have lost patience. "What kind of life am I living?", Cao Jing, a mother of two children in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, said.

Not only does she have to do the housework, but she also has to write papers for her two children, 11-year-old girls and 7-year-old boys, while trying to become familiar with technology to connect them to online classes.

Cao's two children are tired of being at home for too long and do not like to switch to online learning. "They only think about playing, not want to learn," Cao said, hoping that the school will soon reopen before she "exhausted".

Some parents expressed discontent on social networks. "When all online classes start today, parents will become tutors and babysitters," a mother wrote on Weibo.

This scene is taking place in homes across the country but it is unclear when it will end. The Chinese government is taking drastic measures to prevent the spread of the disease, leaving more than 780 million people, half of the country's population, subject to various forms of travel restrictions. Crowds are prohibited, including in the schoolyard. All schools are closed indefinitely as the corona virus continues to spread.

China is focusing its technological prowess on making sure children can learn from distance. China's Ministry of Education yesterday launched a "national cloud-based classroom" with more than 7,000 servers, designed to serve 50 million primary and secondary students simultaneously. 12 subjects are taught online, from ethics to common sciences. Education Television (CETV) broadcasts satellite learning programs to remote areas with weak Internet connections.

Chinese state-run media try to encourage optimism. "Every disaster is a shock and a challenge to the values of our lives," a commentary circulated on Chinese social network. "The ongoing gun battle against corona virus is the best lesson for students and adults alike."

Annie Yao, mother of a fifth-grade student in Beijing, gave a positive assessment of the online classroom. Her 11-year-old son, Jerry, yesterday studied from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. "Jerry is happy to be studying today. The teacher asks the children to read a book and write their feelings, to draw pictures, to do whatever they are good at," she said. However, Jerry said he prefers going to school and playing with his classmates during recess.

In Shenzhen, Minh Duc Experimental School teachers tried to become familiar with technology on the first day of teaching again. "The school and parents have to sympathize with each other, some working parents cannot supervise their children to study during the working day," said a teacher named Yang.

This system is still inadequate. Many families do not have computers, while many homes do not have enough equipment. In many families, grandparents are grandchildren and they are not tech savvy.

At higher levels of education, disruption of class schedules can have a serious impact. In June, about 10 million high school students will take college entrance exams, the exam can determine their future. The Ministry of Education is closely monitoring the epidemic and will decide whether to delay the exam, an official said last week.

Not just the kids at home. Many office workers are also working remotely. In small apartments, parents have to work at the same time supervise their children to study online.

In an effort to ease the burden, the Beijing government issued a policy that states that in families where parents are working, one of them can stay at home to take care of their children and still receive regular pay.

However, not being able to go to school can make children more stressed, nagging, anxious, more easily irritated or excited, the WHO said in its guidelines for dealing with the disease. "Keep regular routines and schedules as much as possible, or create new habits in a new environment, including learning and relaxation safely," WHO wrote.

China's Ministry of Education said in a statement last week that "online classes are not just for learning," because teachers can also provide mental health support for students.

Schools around the country say they build lessons to help children stabilize their emotions. "We have come up with all the rich and varied online courses we can think of," said a teacher at the Experimental Primary School in Beijing. These courses include classes that look after both the physical and mental health of the student.

In Shenzhen, Yang tries to maintain a positive attitude: "No one knows for sure when students will return to school, but we are trying our best to build content that makes them excited and sticking to them. educational program, "she said.