As China’s international schools reopen, teachers and students are still stranded overseas

Name: Schools across China reopen as officials say Covid-19 is under control
Uploaded: 2020-09-04T07:26:22.000Z
Duration: 2 min 27 s
Description: Schools across China reopen as officials say Covid-19 is under control

Many staff and pupils left the country for Lunar New Year holidays as the coronavirus spread – and many remain abroad due to travel restrictions

Authorities have begun processing visa applications, but there is only a limited number of international flights available

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Foreign staff trying to get back to China have to wait for their visa applications to be processed and try to get on one of the limited number of international flights. Photo: AFP

Reuters

Published: 3:26pm, 4 Sep 2020Updated: 9:30pm, 4 Sep 2020

China’s international schools are reopening this month but will be short of key elements – teachers and pupils.

Schools across the world are grappling with disruptions, but the situation for international schools in China is particularly challenging as swathes of staff and students left the country for Lunar New Year holidays just as the coronavirus spread and many are still stranded overseas due to travel restrictions.

As many as 40 per cent of teachers and students due to start the term this month remain abroad, according to the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools which represents 58 schools catering to mostly foreign nationals.

A survey of its member schools in China in early July found just over 3,000 teachers and their dependents were unable to enter China, and it estimated another 700 people from schools which did not respond could be in the same position.

“This is probably the biggest issue that we have faced as an organisation since Sars in 2003,” said Tom Ulmet, executive director at the association, adding that schools were trying to cope with the lack of teachers by increasing class sizes and moving lessons online.

02:27

Schools across China reopen as officials say Covid-19 is under control

Authorities have begun processing visa applications for foreign staff in China, but flying into China is not easy due to a limited number of international flights. A number of foreigners including teachers have also had their applications for visas rejected, although the reasons behind the rejections and the proportion of visas rejected are unclear.