Advice for UK Education Institutions visiting or recruiting students from the East Asia region; and/or working with local institutions

  

Key Updates

Following a directive from the Ministry of Education in China, all examinations scheduled to be delivered by the British Council in March have been cancelled. This impacts test takers for IELTS and UKVI IELTS tests in Mainland China. All test takers have been informed and refunds issued.

The British Council will recommence testing as soon as allowed by Chinese authorities and will focus operations on clearing the backlog in test takers.

Summary

On 30th Jan 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus situation a global health emergency and called for a more coordinated international response to the outbreak. 

 At the British Council, the health and safety of all our visitors, staff and the communities in which we operate, is our top priority. We support and cooperate with all local government agencies to put all necessary measures in place, to ensure the continued well-being of all with whom we engage in the course of our operations.   

This post is to keep UK institutions who are visiting East Asia for events or meeting the British Council updated on disruptions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. 

For travel advice, please refer to FCO updates, and we would encourage institutions who are considering travelling to sign up for alerts - https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. We also strongly encourage visiting local government health websites to stay abreast of the prevailing health advisory and precautionary measures in any country that you may be visiting. 

For IELTS test arrangements as a result of Novel Coronavirus precautions, please see: https://www.ielts.org/news/2020/changes-to-ielts-test-arrangements-in-some-locations-due-to-novel-coronavirus. 

We are monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to provide updates as the situation develops. Please find current information by country/territory as per below: 

 

China 

Updated 18 February 

Changes to Chinese Education institution semesters, class times and examinations 

Over the last two weeks, China's Ministry of Education and the country's schools and universities have made a number of announcements regarding their response to the current Coronavirus epidemic. The start of the new semester has been put back, examinations and interviews have been postponed, and a number of institutions have expanded their online education provision. 

At the secondary level and below, school dates are set at the provincial level. All provincial-level administrations (including directly-governed municipalities and autonomous regions) have postponed the start of the new semester for all schools and universities, including private institutions. 

According to the most recent information (up-to-date as of 17 February), schools and universities will return no earlier than the following dates: 

Date	Provincial-level regions
"End of February"	Anhui; Chongqing; Guangdong; Jiangsu; Shandong; Shanghai; Zhejiang
March 1st	Henan; Hebei; Heilongjiang (HEIs only); Gansu; Jiangxi; Qinghai
"Beginning of March"	Tibet
March 2nd	Liaoning; Heilongjiang (schools only); Hunan
No set date	Beijing; Fujian; Guangxi; Guizhou; Hainan; Hubei; Inner Mongolia; Jilin; Ningxia; Shaanxi; Shanxi; Sichuan; Tianjin; Xinjiang; Yunnan

 

Although provinces have set dates as above, all provinces' announcements state that these reopening dates are also subject to further notice from provincial education departments. Several provinces had previously planned to reopen their schools on or before February 24th (in most cases on February 17th). However, most have now been postponed further until at least the end of February, and almost half of China's provincial-level regions now have no set date to reopen. It is likely that the remaining two provinces whose reopening date is still scheduled for February 17th will also be further postponed. 

It is also important to note that these dates only apply to in-person classes. At the higher education level the Ministry of Education has issued guidance telling universities to make use of online teaching during the epidemic control period, including both MOOCs and the universities' own online courses. The MoE's guidance includes a list of 22 online learning platforms where universities can access over 24,000 courses, which should be used as a basis for teaching; universities should select courses from these platforms based on their needs and supplement them with teaching support, assessment and quality assurance from their own staff where neccesary. The guidance also makes reference to the 1,291 courses the Ministry has already categorised as national-level high-quality online courses, which are all available through these platforms. 

A typical example is South China University of Technology, which will start the new semester on February 24th, with all teaching being delivered online for the first four weeks of term. Similarly, many primary and secondary schools plan to start the new semester earlier than the set dates but will teach through online platforms; some are already doing so while others will start in the coming two weeks. 

As well as the suspension of teaching, some examinations and recruitment activities have also been postponed. The Ministry of Education has ordered universities to postpone all scheduled interviews and internal examinations for postgraduate student recruitment, which are usually held soon after the results of the unified postgraduate entrance examination are released in mid February. 

Meanwhile, guidelines for Chinese students studying overseas on publicly-funded scholarships have also been announced. At the moment students who would have started to study overseas before March 31 are permitted, but not required, to suspend the start of their study until that date. Meanwhile students who are already overseas but whose course will finish before March 31 may postpone their return until that date and continue to receive support for living expenses. Students who have already started their course but temporarily returned to China, for example due to the Chinese New Year holiday, and are unable to get back to their place of study will also continue to receive support for the period until March 31. 

The above guidelines only apply to publicly-funded overseas study and not to the approximately 90 per cent of Chinese students abroad who are self-funded. The Ministry's advice to self-funded students is that postponing non-urgent travel is recommended, and that students should familiarise themselves with their destination country's rules on entry and quarantine; however, these are suggestions and not requirements. 

Comment from British Council International Education Services 

UK institutions working with Chinese partners or recruiting Chinese students should be aware of current study arrangements in the country. The situation is still evolving and it is quite possible that semester start dates will be changed again in the near future. For TNE providers,  close discussions with partners are encouraged to identify short term solutions including online delivery. 

Sources 

1. Ministry of Education: Guiding opinions on dealing with the new coronavirus epidemic through the organization and management of online teaching in colleges and universities (in Chinese) - http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-02/05/content_5474733.htm 

2. Ministry of Education: Ministry of Education to guide institutions on adjusting arrangements for postgraduate enrolment (in Chinese) - http://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2020-02/03/content_5474334.htm       

3. China Scholarship Council: Notice on supporting the prevention and control measures of New Coronavirus (in Chinese, via Sina.com) - https://tech.sina.com.cn/d/2020-01-28/doc-iihnzhha5066768.shtml 

4. China Daily: Students, scholars urged to postpone travel abroad due to virus - https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202001/29/WS5e30e7c5a310128217273894.html 

5. Tencent News: Summary of each province's arrangements for the 2020 spring semester (in Chinese) - http://view.inews.qq.com/k/20200212A06GMI00 

British Council offices and activities 

All British Council offices in China are currently closed, in line with the Chinese government's requirement. 

A decision on whether scheduled British Council March education activities in China will go ahead will be made on a case by case basis as we continue to assess the evolving situation. All impacted institutions will be updated accordingly. 

Update on IELTS testing 

Following a directive from the Ministry of Education in China, all examinations scheduled to be delivered by the British Council in March have been cancelled. This impacts test takers for IELTS and UKVI IELTS tests in Mainland China. All test takers have been informed and refunds issued.  

The British Council will The British Council will recommence testing as soon as allowed by Chinese authorities and will focus operations on clearing the backlog in test takers. 

• All IELTS and IELTS for UKVI tests are currently suspended until 1 April 2020.  

•  Transfers, deferrals and refunds are available as appropriate for affected test takers.  They can get further information by contacting their test centre by email. 

• Many test takers in these locations will be delayed in sitting a test and subsequently sending their IELTS scores to institutions. We hope that schools, colleges, universities and other institutions understand that this delay will be through no fault of the candidate and hope that they will be able to extend the application process for these applicants. Moving forward the IELTS Partners will be looking to increase test session availability as soon as they can re-start testing. 

• The British Council will recommence testing as soon as allowed by Chinese authorities and will focus operations on clearing the backlog in test takers. 

• If your students have registered for an IELTS test and have any concerns or questions about the arrangements for their test, please advise them to email their test centre directly. 

Market support 

We are currently exploring alternative marketing and student recruitment solutions for UK institutions where on-the-ground activities in China have been affected by the outbreak. 

If you are interested in alternative solutions or you require any support for your activities in China at this time please contact IES.China@britishcouncil.org.cn. 

 

Hong Kong 

Updated 14 February 

Local class suspension until at least 16th March 

Kindergartens and Primary and Secondary Schools 

The Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) has decided that schools in Hong Kong will continue to suspend classes at least 16 March until all conditions are improved and safe for all students to return to schools. Previously, students were tentatively scheduled to return to school on 17 February, but EDB then extended that to the beginning of March.  

Many schools in Hong Kong have already switched to online learning and lessons by conference call, with assignments given out on a daily or weekly basis’, reported by Reuters. Given the fact that the exact date of class resumptions remains uncertain, the Secretary for Education said EDB would consider rescheduling this semester’s school calendar to help students make up the teaching contact hours that they missed since early February. This implicates that students may need to take extra lessons over the summer.   

In terms of this year’s HKDSE exam, EDB will announce whether the date of writing test will still be held on 23 March or be postponed to 24 April by the end of this month.  

Sources:  
SED's opening remarks at media session (with video), EDB, 13.02.2020 

https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202002/13/P2020021300359.htm?fontSize=1 

Hong Kong suspends schools for longer to counter spread of coronavirus, Reuters  
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china-health-hongkong-education/hong-kong-suspends-schools-for-longer-to-counter-spread-of-coronavirus-idUKKBN207082?il=0 

EDB announces class resumption on March 2 the earliest, 31.01.2020 
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202001/31/P2020013100693.htm?fontSize=1     

Local universities  

• University of Hong Kong - all classes are schedule to resume from 30 March to 16 May 

• Hong Kong University of Sciences and Technology - campus will remain closed until 23 February.  

• Chinese University of Hong Kong – campuses are closed until 16 February  

• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - all classes are suspended until 01 March (inclusive) 

• City University of Hong Kong – all face-to-face classes are suspended until further notice 

• Hong Kong Baptist University- all face-to-face classes are suspended until further notice.  

• The Open University of Hong Kong - all face-to-face classes are suspended until 31 March 

• Hang Seng University of Hong Kong - offices are closed until 01 March  

• Vocational Training Council - all face-to-face classes are suspended until 16 March  
   
  Note:  
  (1) Local universities have advised their staff members to work from home to ensure their business operation remains as usual. 
  (2) The rest of universities did not make a public announcement regarding arrangements on deferral of class resumptions on the websites. Institutions who wish to contact those who did not list here. Please contact the Hong Kong team for further information.  

Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) Contingency Measures for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) 

The HKEAA have announced date changes for some HKDSE exams, with a knock-on effect on the HKDSE result release date. Please refer to our market news item here - https://education-services.britishcouncil.org/news/market-news/rescheduling-and-contingency-measures-2020-hong-kong-diploma-of-secondary-education 

 British Council Operations 

The British Council office in Hong Kong will remain closed until at least Monday 24 February. To support efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Hong Kong, we have postponed upcoming English classes, tests and exams for the next 2 weeks and will review the status on a weekly basis. 

For the most up-to-date information on our services, please visit our website: www.britishcouncil.hk/en/novel-coronavirus-update. 

Partial cross-border closure between Hong Kong and Mainland China 

As a preventative effort to eliminate the virus outbreak. The Government has inserted a series of border restrictions effective from today (03 February 2020) the following transport services and border control point services will be reduced or suspended until further notice: 

•  National railway services: the services of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and the Intercity Through Train will be suspended. 

• Aviation services: mainland China flights will be reduced by 50%. 

• Ferry services: all cross-boundary ferry services to and from Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, China Ferry Terminal and the Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal will be suspended. 

• Land-based cross-boundary transport, cross-boundary coach and shuttle bus services: the control points of Lo Wu , Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, Lok Ma Chau – Huanggang will be closed at midnight on Tuesday 04 February. Shenzhen Bay Port and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will remain open, but the service frequency of the public transport will be reduced. 

 Enhancing exit screening and health declaration at HK International Airport and Shenzhen Bay Port 
 
Starting from Saturday 01 February, Hong Kong International Airport will implement body temperature checks for both departing and transit passengers. No boarding will be allowed for passengers with fever. On land-based control point, the Government will impose a requirement for health declaration at the Shenzhen Bay Port. 

Sources:  

• Hong Kong announces new border closures, as China's coronavirus death toll overtakes SARS, CNN 

• Press release: Government enhances disease prevention and control measures with reference to WHO's advice, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) 

• Centre for Health Protection (CHP), HKSAR 

Mandatory quarantine on people entering Hong Kong from Mainland China  

As of 08 February, Hong Kong residents who arrive from Mainland are required to spend their 14-day quarantine at home, though their family members and friends will not be subjected to the quarantine. Visitors will be able to isolate themselves at the hotels they have booked. Anyone who violates the restrictions will be subjected to a six-month imprisonment and a fine of up to HK$25,000 or both. 

Source:  
Press release: Government to impose mandatory quarantine on people entering Hong Kong from Mainland China
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202002/05/P2020020500793.htm 

Contact: Anna Lee anna.lee@britishcouncil.org.hk or Karen Hsu  karen.hsu@britishcouncil.org.hk 

 

Japan 

Updated 13 February 

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan 

According to the World Health Organisation, as of 12th February the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was 28. A further 175 cases have been confirmed among passengers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship currently moored in Yokohama port.  

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports    

Schools and Universities   

To our knowledge, there have been no school or university closures reported in the Tokyo area as a result of COVID-19. 

Forthcoming British Council events 

Our venues remain open and, as things stand, the events below will go ahead in March. We are monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to implement any further measures in line with the advice of local government agencies. We will continue to update institutions as the situation develops.   

• 23 Mar: UK Japan University Networking Event 2020 

• 30 Mar: Study UK Spring Fair Japan 2020 

 We are asking our guests and participants to observe the following advice:  

• If you are feeling unwell, have a cough, fever or flu, please seek immediate medical advice on whether you should still attend our event, and inform British Council Japan in advance.   

• If you would like to bring and/or wear a mask, please feel free to do so and note that our staff may be wearing a mask as well, as a precautionary measure.  

• We recommend using hand sanitisers and regular handwashing as a basic safeguard.  

Contact 

Hal Parker, Education Services Manager, British Council Japan - hal.parker@britishcouncil.or.jp 

 

Indonesia

Updated 13 February 

There have not been any confirmed cases of coronavirus in Indonesia, but neighbouring countries have been affected by the virus. For Indonesia, it is business as per usual across the education sector and at large. 

With regard to changes implemented at educational institutions, one international school in Jakarta has implemented the following policies as a precaution: 

• Each university representative visiting the school will submit a short report of their travel itinerary for the last 3 weeks 

• Any person who visited China region including Hong Kong might be denied entry to the school 

• The school is checking body temperature before entrance; any person with a temperature of 38 or higher will not be permitted to enter the school 

Sources:  

https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/02/02/indonesia-to-stop-flights-to-and-from-china-amid-coronavirus-epidemic.html 

http://promkes.kemkes.go.id/informasi-tentang-virus-corona-novel-coronavirus 

 

Malaysia 

Updated 12 February 2020 

• British Council Malaysia operations - business as usual on a day to day basis. 

• British Council TNE Forum scheduled for early March is now postponed. 

• Bett Asia - an externally organised event is postponed. 

• The Higher Education Partnership forum – will now be held online/webinar 

Johor state 

• Johor Baru have cancelled all state organised events for the month of February 

• Private organisers of large-scale events have been advised to cancel events where mass crowds are expected 

• Johor government has advised event organisers to postpone mass religious and cultural events 

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/wuhan-virus-outbreak-johor-to-suspend-all-mass-gathering-events-12397508 

Schools and Universities 

• University Malaya (UM) have decided to replace all classes and lectures with online sessions from 17 to 23 Feb  

• Students will be allowed to attend lectures 24 Feb onwards – after the 14-day isolation period  

Source: https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2020/02/07/coronavirus-um-cancels-all-face-to-face-lectures-tutorials-labs/ 

 

Singapore 

Updated 14 February 

On 7 February, the Ministry of Health in Singapore increased the alert status to Amber. This requires event organisers to postpone or cancel non-essential large-scale events. Based on this update from the Ministry of Health (www.moh.gov.sg) we have postponed the Study UK Fair and Schools Roadshow 2020 till further notice. 

Source: https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/risk-assessment-raised-to-dorscon-orange 

The Singapore government has announced precautionary measures to fight the spread of the virus. The measures include cancelling mass assemblies in schools and suspending excursions. In practical terms this has meant that university visits to meet students, and schools promoting student recruitment events to their student body is not viable at present. 

News Source - https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/wuhan-coronavirus-cancellation-school-assemblies-field-trips-and-communal-activities-among-new-measures?cid=emarsys-today_TODAY%27s%20morning%20briefing%20for%20Feb%205,%202020%20%28ACTIVE%29_newsletter_05022020_today 

Contact: Saman Imtiaz, saman.imtiaz@britishcouncil.org.my 

 

South Korea

Updated on 10 February 

South Korea has 27 confirmed cases of the virus as of 10 February. The infectious disease alert level is “warning/orange”, the second highest level in Korea.  

336 kindergartens and schools nationwide have chosen to close closed down temporarily or postponed the reopening of school for the spring semester. The Education Ministry also recommended universities nationwide to delay the start of their spring semester by up to four weeks. 

South Korea imposed a temporary ban on the entry of foreigners who have travelled to Hubei Province. It will not expand the entry ban to additional regions of China or other countries. 

However, Korean Air, the country's national flag carrier, and seven other carriers have temporarily suspended 57 out of their 100 routes to the neighbouring country and reduced flights on 24 routes to Chinese cities, including the capital Beijing. 

All those who have visited Wuhan/Hubei region and suspect they may be infected by the Novel Coronavirus are to report immediately to KCDC, their local public clinic or call 1339. 

News Sources: 

Yonhap News (27 January) S. Korea raises infectious disease alert level amid spread of Wuhan coronavirus. (https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200127003600320)  

Yonhap News (4 February)  S. Korean airlines halt 57 per cent of China routes on coronavirus. (https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200204001952320)  

Chosun Ilbo (4 February) Hundreds of kindergartens, schools close amid Coronavirus fears. (http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2020/02/04/2020020401406.html)  

Press release from the KCDC (5 February) 17th, 18th case of novel Coronavirus has been confirmed in Republic of Korea (www.cdc.go.kr/board/board.es?mid=a30402000000&bid=0030)  

Chosun Ilbo (6 February) Universities Told to Delay Start of Spring Semester http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2020/02/06/2020020601985.html 

Yonhap News (9 February) S. Korea adds 3 more virus cases for 27 total, no entry ban expansion (https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200209000757320)  

Contact: Heather Eom  sunhyun.eom@britishcouncil.org.kr

 

Taiwan

Updated 14 February 

There are current eighteen cases confirmed of the Coronavirus in Taiwan, all are imported or close contact cases. There have been no community outbreaks. For information on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Taiwan, please visit the Taiwan Centres for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov.tw/En 

Schools and Universities 

The MoE Taiwan had the announcement on 3 Feb, the new dates of new terms are 25 Feb for Secondary schools and 2 March for most University level to start the new term.   

For public events and gatherings for schools and universities, some are cancelled while some are continuing as normal, so we recommend checking with individual organisers. A couple of examples are as follows: 

Event name	Org	Original timeline	Situation
Local University Fair for mostly local university	Local Media company	29th Feb-1March	Cancelled
Studyworld fair	Agent - UKEAS	6-10 March	Going ahead
Overseas Education Expo Taipei	Agent – Oh Study	7- 11 March	Going ahead

Contact: Diane Hsu, diane.hsu@britishcouncil.org.tw 

 

Thailand  

Updated 14 February  

The number of local novel coronavirus patients remained at 33 on Friday 14 February 2020. 13 of them had fully recovered and been discharged and 20 were still in hospitals, according to the Disease Control Department. the local authority link is https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/eng/index.php  

Thai government response 

Surveillance and preparedness to respond to emerging infectious diseases have been enhanced in the government and private hospitals, and areas of tourist attractions.  

Schools, universities and public events  

At present schools and universities are open as normal, and public events are generally going ahead.  

British Council’s operation  

The operation of British Council in Thailand in their 6 centres (5 in Bangkok and 1 in Chiang Mai) remains business as usual. English classes and IELTS and other Exams, as well as events with the public, remain unchanged.  

Contact: Uraiwan Samolee, uraiwan.samolee@britishcouncil.or.th 

 

Vietnam 

Updated: February 7

Vietnam on Saturday 1 February 2020 declared an epidemic as the number of people infected with the 2019 novel Coronavirus was increasing day by day. 

School Closures 

On February 2, the Government Office issued an instruction asking the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Health to guide localities nationwide on school closures. According to the instruction, schools across the country ranging from nursery to high schools can allow their pupils to temporarily stay at home. Localities can decide how long local schools should be closed based on the situation in their area. 

Hanoi - Hanoi Department of Education and Training then announced that nursery to vocational training schools would remain shut from February 3-10 

Ho Chi Minh City - Department of Education and Training decided to shut down local schools for a week, starting from February 3 to 9. 

Dozens of universities nationwide have also permitted their students to stay at home until February 10 or 17. 

Travel Advice from the British Embassy in Vietnam 

The Vietnamese authorities are implementing steps to mitigate the risks of infection, including health screening at airports and land borders. People showing signs of respiratory illness on arrival in Vietnam can expect to be checked. You should comply with any additional screening measures put in place by the local authorities. Anyone confirmed as having Coronavirus, including foreigners, can expect to be quarantined. 

The Vietnamese authorities have also announced travel restrictions and quarantine requirements: 

• as of 1 February 2020, anyone who has visited China in the previous 14 days will be refused entry to Vietnam. The only exceptions will be people with specific agreement travelling on official government business. 

• as of 3 February 2020, anyone already in Vietnam who has been in Hubei Province within the past 14 days should go in to medical quarantine. Anyone who has been elsewhere in mainland China within the past 14 days should self-isolate at home. 

Public Events 

The Vietnamese government has recommended that citizens wear masks in public, and it has introduced special permits for anyone seeking to organise large public events. 

News Sources: 

http://dtinews.vn/en/news/020/66331/61-localities-close-schools-amid-rising-fears-of-coronavirus-spreading.html 

http://dtinews.vn/en/news/020/66287/schools-temporarily-closed-over-coronavirus-concerns.html  

Contact: Lien Ta, lien.ta@britishcouncil.org.vn