Advice for UK Education Institutions on Covid-19 impact in East Asia
Summary
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 updated on disruptions across the East Asia region 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.
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:
Key Updates
China
- Provinces beginning to release dates for the staggered reopening of schools – details below.
- Guidelines for Chinese students studying overseas on publicly funded scholarships have also been announced
- The Chinese government are arranging repatriation flights for Chinese students in the UK. Please see our separate market news item.
Hong Kong
- Education officials and local universities are mulling over contingency plans in the event that the HKDSE exam is further delayed or cancelled.
- Public gatherings are now limited to a maximum of four people, meaning that face to face student recruitment events are not possible for the forseeable future.
South Korea
As all examinations and evaluations are deferred for five weeks, the whole academic calendar, including the schedule of early admission and KSAT, will be postponed. KSAT is likely to take place on 3 December 2020 by delaying for two weeks.
China
Updated 30 March
Changes to Chinese Education institution semesters, class times and examinations
Since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, China's Ministry of Education and the country's schools and universities have continued to make announcements regarding their response to the epidemic. The start of the new semester has been put back, examinations and interviews have been postponed, and the majority of institutions have expanded their online education provision.
In the last week of February, the MoE stressed that “in principle, before the epidemic is effectively controlled, college students will not return to school, and universities will not open. Once all HEIs open the campuses, strict management measures must be taken”.
In-person classes are still suspended at most of China’s schools and universities, but many provinces and autonomous regions are now preparing to reopen. Ten provincial-level regions have now reopened a portion of their schools and a total of 20 have set return dates for at least some students.
All provinces are adopting a staggered approach, mostly starting with students in the 3rd (final) year of high school as well as those in their 3rd year of junior high school, who are preparing for their Gaokao and Zhongkao exams respectively. In many cases the remaining secondary students will return one week after final-year students, with some provinces also reopening primary schools at the same time.
The table below shows all currently announced school reopening dates as of the March 30.
March 23rd or earlier |
|
March 25th |
|
March 25th-31st |
|
March 30th |
|
"End of March" |
|
April 1st-15th |
|
April 1st |
|
April 7th |
|
April 8th |
|
April 10th |
|
April 13th |
|
April 14th |
|
April 15th |
|
“Mid-April” |
|
April 20th |
|
April 21st |
|
April 25th |
|
Levels of education not listed in the above table – including primary schools and universities in most provinces, as well as non-final-year secondary students in several areas – do not yet have set times for reopening. Similarly, provincial-level regions not included in the table, such as Beijing, have not yet announced any dates.
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 (most of the results have been released by 22 Feb). The National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) also announced to postpone some national exams originally planned in March, including PETS (Public English Test System) originally scheduled on 21 – 22 March. However, the Gaokao university entrance exam is currently planned to go ahead as scheduled; recent articles saying that it would be delayed until June 26th were refuted by the Ministry of Education as fake news.
Meanwhile, guidelines for Chinese students studying overseas on publicly funded scholarships have also been announced. Now students who would have started to study overseas before 31 March, are permitted, but not required, to suspend the start of their study until that date. Students who are already overseas but whose course will finish before 31 March 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 31 March. Most new application deadlines were postponed one month behind the original dates.
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 soon. For TNE providers, close discussions with partners are encouraged to identify short term solutions including online delivery.
Wider news:
Earlier in March China announced the postponement of the annual “Two Sessions” of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which were originally scheduled for early March. No new dates were announced. Whilst not directly effecting education this news highlights that China is continuing to take serious efforts to contain the virus.
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
Updated on 25 Feb: https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2020-02/25/content_5482825.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)
- https://www.csc.edu.cn/news/gonggao/1801
Updated on 20 Feb: Notice on adjusting arrangement of several public-fund overseas programmes
- https://www.csc.edu.cn/chuguo/s/1807
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
6. The National Education Examinations Authority: Notice on postponement of 3 examinations scheduled in March (in Chinese)
- https://www.neea.edu.cn/html1/report/20021/5982-1.htm
7. Xinhua News Agency: The Postponement of the Two Sessions
- https://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-02/24/c_138814427.htm
8. Sina – Guizhou and Qinghai provinces announce plan to stagger the reopening of schools
- https://news.sina.cn/2020-03-02/detail-iimxxstf5662766.d.html?vt=4
9. Beijing Daily: Tsinghua university allows online thesis defence, adds August graduation session (in Chinese) - http://bjrb.bjd.com.cn/html/2020-03/02/content_12449209.htm
10. China Focus: Classrooms reopen in Xinjiang with wishes, wariness as epidemic wanes http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/16/c_138883665.htm
11. Beijing says no plan for reopening of schools http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/17/c_138888139.htm
British Council offices and activities
British Council offices in China have reopened.
All British Council China on the ground education activity in March has been postponed, moved online or cancelled. Individual institutions affected have been contacted directly.
Update on IELTS testing
Following directives of the Ministry of Education in combatting the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the National Education Examinations Authority (NEEA) and the British Council have been instructed to cancel all IELTS tests scheduled for April across Mainland China.
All test takers who have registered for an IELTS test in April in Mainland China will receive a full refund which will be credited to their personal registration account. Test takers who have already chosen to cancel their test in April need to raise a refund request through the IELTS registration website.
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.
Full details and contact information for IELTS enquiries can be found here.
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 03 April
Public Events
- A ban on more than four people getting together in public places was implemented for two weeks on 28th of March for at least for two weeks. There's no limit on how many people can congregate in private settings or at a place of work, however this means that face to face student recruitment activities are current not feasible.
Schools
Local Schools and HKDSE
- Class suspensions continue until further notice
In view of rapid escalation of COVID-19 epidemic in Hong Kong recently, on 21 March, the Government announced that all schools will continue to suspend classes until further notice. It is also reported that the new class resumption date will be published at least 3 weeks before the new date according to the Education Bureau (EDB).
- Local schools have switched to online learning and tend to make up lost time over the Summer
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. 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. In a schoolteachers’ opinion poll, 40 per cent of them said their schools tend to shorten the summer break to make up for lost time.
- Special arrangements for HKDSE and JUPAS
In terms of this year’s HKDSE exam, EDB announced that the written examinations will be deferred from 27 March to 24 April and is expected to be finished on 25 May. The speaking examinations of both Chinese and English language subjects will be cancelled. As for the 2020 HKDSE Results, the release date will continue to be within July (15 July). The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) will publish the details of special arrangements shortly
Some DSE students already plan to re-sit their university entrance exams this year, even though the exam will not start until 24 April. In addition, around 2,000 students have also submitted an online petition against the decision of cancelling the oral exams, as they fear this may affect their chance of getting into their chosen university. As of today, it is reported that HKEAA still prefers to stick to the current plan, but has started to consult local stakeholders whether the exam should be further delayed or cancelled if the situation is not improved in the next few weeks. Therefore local universities and Education officials are considering contingency plans such as evaluating students based on previous school based internal assessment and mock exam results.
As for the JUPAS* results day, the government has previously announced that the release date of main round offer results will be deferred to10 August. This usually kicks off a second round of applications to UK universities, with students who have missed out on a local place looking for overseas options instead.
*Note: JUPAS in HK is equivalent to UCAS in the UK
International Schools
- Some international schools have partially reopened for senior secondary students for exam preparation
In early March, SCMP reported that some secondary students of international schools have begun returning to their schools for exam preparation. Currently, international schools who have partially reopened for their students are the English School Foundation (operating 7 secondary schools across the city), Canadian International School of Hong Kong, and Kellett School (secondary school division).
- Update about International Baccalaureate (IB) and IGCSE exams in Hong Kong
Further to the announcement of exam cancellation by IB on 20 March, Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel announced that all the general qualification examinations (including GCE, IAL, IGCSE and GCSE) will be cancelled in May/June 2020 series globally.
Sources:
Coronavirus: Hong Kong school closures extended to April 20 at the earliest
https://https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3052199/coronavirus-hong-kong-school-closures-extend-beyond-easter
Announcement of 2020 JUPAS Main Round Offer Results, JUPAS, 11.03.2020
Government announces enhanced measures for disease control, HKSAR Gov, 21.03.2020
Coronavirus: International Baccalaureate cancels May exams, affecting more than 200,000 students worldwide, SCMP, 23.03.2020
Cancellation of GCE / IAL / IGCSE / GCSE Examinations in May/June 2020, HKEAA, 25.03.2020
Local Universities
University of Hong Kong - Until the end of the teaching period on May 16, all teaching and learning will be delivered online
Hong Kong University of Sciences and Technology - The University will resume normal administrative operations in a progressive manner from March 9, 2020, while some facilities will remain closed and teaching continues in live interactive on-line mode.
Chinese University of Hong Kong – The Chinese University of Hong Kong continues online teaching, while services and operation of all University Departments/Units will gradually resume to normal from 2 March 2020.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Online learning and teaching will continue before the resumption of face-to-face teaching (23 March – 16 May 2020)
- 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 further notice
- Hang Seng University of Hong Kong - further suspend all face-to-face teaching activities in this semester until further notice. Online teaching will be arranged during this suspension period
- Vocational Training Council - all face-to-face classes are suspended until 29 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.
British Council Operations
The British Council office in Hong Kong reopened on Monday 02 March, however is closed to the public. For the most up-to-date information on our services, please visit our website: www.britishcouncil.hk/en/novel-coronavirus-update.
We are of course happy to hold meetings with the UK Education sector by means of Skype calls.
Travel restrictions in summary – as of 24 March
- Non-Hong Kong residents will be denied entry into HK
- HK residents and valid HK visa holders must be self-isolated for 14 days after returning home
- Passengers are no longer permitted to transit through HK International Airport.
Sources:
- 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
Macau
The Education and Youth Affairs Bureau in Macau have announced that classes in local schools will resume no later than April 20, senior high school pupils preparing for their university entrance examinations would be allowed to go back to school from March 30.
Macau has prohibited non-residents from entering Macau with the exception of Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Sources:
https://news.gov.mo/detail/en/N20CQbWKUo?1
Contact: Anna Lee anna.lee@britishcouncil.org.hk or Karen Hsu karen.hsu@britishcouncil.org.hk
Indonesia
Updated 31 March
Confirmed cases in Indonesia
As per latest reports the number of COVID-10 cases in Indonesia has increased to more than 1500.
President Jokowi has imposed large scale social restrictions and issued a decree on public health emergency. As of 31 March, Indonesia introduced a travel ban on all foreigners entering the country. This ban includes travellers transiting through Indonesia. Holders of work permits, diplomats and official visitors are exempted from this ban.
Source: https://www.kemkes.go.id/
Schools and Universities
By 15 March several regions in the country had closed schools and banned large gatherings and events. On 24 march, the Minister of Education cancelled all national exams for schools. This announcement was followed by the announcement that the cancellation of exams will not impact graduation or enrolment into the next level of study. The Jakarta administration had already closed schools and online classes have been introduced at most institutions.
Source: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/03/24/indonesia-scraps-national-exams-due-to-covid-19.html
Public events
Jakarta administration has advised residents to restrict/cancel activities, avoid public gatherings including religious and cultural events. Tourist destinations, performances and entertainment places are closed for two weeks. Several organisations are checking temperature at entry, upgrading health procedures and cancelling events.
British Council Activity
British Council Study UK Fair and Career Day scheduled for 7 March 2020 was postponed.
The English for Indonesia activity in Kampung Ingriss has been postponed till further notice.
The Teaching Centre is closed, and off-site teaching is suspended for the time being.
British Council IELTS exams are suspended for till 5 April.
Staff have been advised to work from home.
Contact: Saman Imtiaz, saman.imtiaz@britishcouncil.org.my
Japan
Updated 1st April
Latest news
- We understand that, effective from 00:00 on 3 April, the Government of Japan will deny entry to Japan for any non-Japanese nationals who have been to the UK in the last 14 days, other than in exceptional circumstances. These measures also apply to people who live in Japan but are temporarily out of the country.
- Japan has suspended its visa waiver system for anyone travelling on a British Citizen or British National (Overseas) passport until at least the end of April 2020.
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan
According to the World Health Organisation, as of 31st March the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was 1,953 with 87 new cases reported in the previous 24hours. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200331-sitrep-71-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=4360e92b_4
Public Events
Tokyo Metropolitan Government has requested organisers refrain from holding large-scale events from the end of March to April 12.
Many large-scale cultural and sporting events across the country remain cancelled.
Schools and Universities
The majority of primary and secondary schools remain closed until the end of regular spring holidays in early April.
Local media reported on 1st April that Tokyo Metropolitan Government is considering keeping its public schools closed until early May.
https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0006461464
Some universities have cancelled entrance ceremonies scheduled for early April and postponed the start of the new academic year until late April / May.
British Council Activities
Study UK Spring Fair Japan 2020:
In light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, regrettably, the British Council has decided to cancel the Study UK Spring Fair Japan 2020 scheduled for 30 March 2020 in Tokyo.
We are keen to support your continued engagement with Japan and are exploring alternative ways to profile institutions and to help you connect with prospective students and their families. Details will be shared via this website in the coming weeks.
Contact
Hal Parker, Education Services Manager, British Council Japan - hal.parker@britishcouncil.or.jp
Malaysia
Updated 31 March
Government Response
Malaysia’s COVID-19 cases have now risen to 2,766. The government has extended the ‘restricted movement’ order from 18 till 14 April 2020. All places of business and worship are closed. All government and private offices except those providing essential services remain closed.
- Full ban on movement, mass gatherings including sports, culture, religious and social activities. No events (education fairs organized by education agencies, included) will happen within the next two weeks.
- Closure of kindergartens, government and public schools, boarding schools, international schools, tahfiz centres and all primary and secondary and pre-university educational institutions. If you have any planned visits to the local schools or institutions, they will most likely be cancelled. Please check with your stakeholders.
- Full ban on overseas travels for Malaysians. Those returning from overseas MUST undergo health and screening and -quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
- Full ban on tourists and foreign visitors entering Malaysia.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/03/577999/mco-extended-until-april-14
Public Events
The restricted movement order enforces cancellation of large-scale events. This includes all sports, religious, cultural and social activities. Malaysia had already banned public events from 13 March onwards as one of the steps taken to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Schools and Universities
With the restricted movement order, all educational institutions: schools, universities, vocational training institutions and campuses will be closed from 18 March until 14 April 2020.
On 28 March, the local higher education institutions were advised to plan and commence the second semester of the current academic year between 27 April and 1 June 2020. The Ministry of Education stated that this decision had been reached after considering both local and international students in Malaysia, the provision of and readiness by local institutions to take on the current situation including online learning options.
British Council Activities
The Study UK Fair and Career Day was postponed in early March, along with several other Education focussed activities arranged by British Council.
British Council staff will be working from home from 18 till 14 April 2020 in accordance with the restricted movement order. We regret that we are therefore unable to receive visitors for meetings during this period, however we are of course available for meetings via Skype.
Contact: Saman Imtiaz, saman.imtiaz@britishcouncil.org.my
Singapore
Updated 31 March 2020
The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Singapore are now at 926. The government has banned all visitors from other countries from entering Singapore, this applies to short term and transit visitors as well. And all Singapore travellers returning to the country have been advised of the requirement to stay at home for 14 days on arrival. This is based on the recent increase in cases being attributed to travellers.
Educational institutions
The Ministry of Education has advised international students from Singapore to return home. Students choosing to stay abroad are to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Detailed FAQs for international students can be viewed at https://www.moe.gov.sg/addressing-top-covid-19-concerns
Educational institutions remain open; however, strict measures taken include cancellation of unnecessary activities, gatherings of students on campus and steps to promote social distancing on campus. The government has introduced one day a week of home-based learning for students of primary, secondary, college and centralised institutions.
The Ministry of Education has a regularly updated Facebook page to share updates and stay connected with parents/students https://www.facebook.com/pg/moesingapore/posts/
Public events
On 13 March, Singapore placed a ban on any gathering. All cultural, sports and entertainment events are to be deferred or cancelled.
The Ministry of Health in Singapore provides a regularly updated status report on the daily situation for all at https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19
Contact: Saman Imtiaz, saman.imtiaz@britishcouncil.org.my
South Korea
Updated on 31 March
South Korea has 9,661 cases (2.5%) out of 395,194 examinations, 5,228 released cases from quarantine, and 158 deaths as of 9 a.m., 31 March.
As infections keep increasing among arrivals from abroad, all arrivals will be tested from midnight 1 April. Those that test positive will be taken to a medical facility. Those that test negative will all have to self isolate for 14 days. Short term travellers who only have hotel accommodation available will be put in government facilities and charged GDP66 per day.
Schools and Universities
After the 5-week postponement of the new academic year for all schools across the nation, the government has decided to begin schools online from 9 April in order, starting with 9th and 12th graders. Kids in the 4th through 8th grades and 10th and 11th grades will start online classes on 16 April. First, second and third graders will start on 20 April.
As all examinations and evaluations are deferred for five weeks, the whole academic calendar, including the schedule of early admission and KSAT, will be postponed. KSAT is likely to take place on 3 December 2020 by delaying for two weeks.
After up to four weeks of postponement, universities across the nation have temporarily shifted to remote learning at short notice. Students have been slowly adapting to online classes since mid March when colleges officially started.
Public Events
The Korean Government has re-emphasised the need for social distancing, particularly as the number of new cases identified in those travelling to Korea from the UK, Europe, and the US. They continue to ban all protests and mass gatherings.
They urged suspension of public facilities such as bars, restaurants, indoor gyms, and churches for two weeks, starting on 21 March, and will invoke relevant laws to force noncompliant facility operators to close down their shops.
Sources:
Korea Government’s official website for the Covid-19 http://ncov.mohw.go.kr/en/
Online classes to start on April 9, Joongang Daily (1 April) http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3075564&cloc=joongangdaily|home|top
Most arrivals are required to self-quarantine, Joongang Daily (30 March) http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3075468&cloc=joongangdaily|home|top
Infections Keep Increasing Among Arrivals from Abroad, Chosun (30 March) http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2020/03/30/2020033002741.html
S. Korea again urges social distancing, strict self-isolation amid steady rise in virus cases, Yonhap News (27 March) https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20200327002953320?section=science/medicine
Prime minister urges suspension of public facility to stem COVID-19, Korean Herald (21 March) http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200321000100&ACE_SEARCH=1
College students have tough time with online classes, Korean Herald (26 March) http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200326000690&ACE_SEARCH=1
Contact: Heather Eom sunhyun.eom@britishcouncil.org.kr
Taiwan
Updated 27 March
There are currently 77 cases confirmed of the Coronavirus in Taiwan, 27 local cases and 50 imported cases. 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 government has set protocols including wearing of facemasks and having temperature taken for entering schools, buildings, campuses and rooms, and those who have fevers are not allowed to enter.
The Central Epidemic Command Center announced on 16 March that students and teachers at senior and junior high schools as well as elementary schools around Taiwan will all be prohibited from overseas travel until the end of the current semester, which is scheduled to end on July 14.
The MoE is working on a digital learning platform for under the senior high school sector.
The school-term is running as normal, and all national exams and assemblies are continuing to happen.
For universities, please contact the individual institution to confirm visits and events. Most universities cancelled presentation-type events. Visitors from overseas need to provide details of travel history, and no transit is allowed from China and Hong Kong.
For public events some are cancelled while some are continuing as normal, so we recommend checking with individual organisers.
Travel Restrictions in summary - as of 24 March 2020
Foriegn nationals are not permitted to enter or transit through Taiwan. All eligible passengers entering Taiwan must undergo 14 days of home quarantine.
Sources:
https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3899387
Contact: Diane Hsu, diane.hsu@britishcouncil.org.tw
Thailand
Updated 31 March
Thailand has announced an emergency decree imposed from 26 March to 30 April. During the state of emergency, measures will start ‘from light to strict’, as deemed necessary by the authorities. Currently in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, there is no curfew and no lockdown. A lot of public transportation is suspended or at reduced frequency. Health check points have started nationwide.
Schools, universities and public events
- Ministry of Education issued a formal letter on 17th March 2020 asking all public and private schools (formal and non-formal educational institutions) to be closed from 18th March 2020 until further notice. On-line teaching is encouraged to replace face to face tutorials.
- Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation issued a formal letter on 17th March 2020 asking universities and higher education institutions to stop all face to face classes and start to implement virtual classes. Details of the announcement can be obtained from https://www.ops.go.th/main/index.php/news-service/announcement/1983-covid-19
British Council’s operation
In accordance with the Government (OPEC) announcement on school closures, face to face English classes in Bangkok are suspended till Monday 13 April 2020 and in Chiang Mai till Tuesday 14 April 2020. As a result of new local government restrictions on schools, educational institutions and large gatherings, paper-based IELTS are suspended until 30 April. Computer-delivered IELTS are suspended until 15 April.
The International Education Services Team is still in operation and will be able to help give advice and respond to queries from UK institutions, agents, and stakeholders.
Contact: Uraiwan Samolee, uraiwan.samolee@britishcouncil.or.th
Vietnam
Updated: 30 March 2020
By 6 a.m on 30 March 2020, Vietnam has reported 194 COVID-19 infection cases.
Government Response
The Prime Minister of Vietnam has signed a Directive rolling out measures to strengthen the COVID-19 prevention and control amid rapid increase of new infection cases over the past three weeks.
Accordingly, from March 28 to April 15, operations of service trading facilities, except for those selling essential goods and services shall be closed. Religious rituals and activities of over 20 people and all gatherings outside offices, schools and hospitals shall be suspended until April 15. All incoming passenger flights to Vietnam will also be suspended, and flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city to other localities and vice versa will be reduced as many as possible in the next two weeks.
Education
The Ministry of Education and Training will streamline the curriculum of the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year but will ensure students to receive fundamental knowledge. The streamlining plan will be approved by the ministry, not by single schools.
News Sources:
http://news.chinhphu.vn/Home/PM-issues-directive-on-COVID19-prevention-and-control/20203/39414.vgp
Contact: Lien Ta, lien.ta@britishcouncil.org.vn