Baptist University is to extend its virtual learning platform, launched last month to help students continue with classes during the height of the Sars outbreak.

Alex Fung Chi-wah, head of the department of education studies, said the university would continue to offer the Vitle (Virtual Integrated Teaching and Learning Environment) facility to Hong Kong's 1,500 schools free until the end of June. A monthly fee of around $500 would be charged after that.

'Although lessons have resumed, virtual classrooms are still useful because they do not require any physical location. Schools may invite different scholars to give speeches on-line after school time, and organise tutorial or counselling sessions on the Internet,'' he said.