MOE holds emergency meeting to follow up on CPC leadership guidelines on novel coronavirus prevention

On the morning of January 26, the MOE party group held an emergency meeting to follow up on guidelines to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus, emanating from a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held the previous day. Minister of education Chen Baosheng communicated the instructions of President Xi Jinping, while vice minister Zhong Denghua outlined measures to be implemented by the education system to halt the virus’s spread.

Chen noted that the MOE, in swift response to instructions of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang and to guidelines issued at the latest State Council executive meeting, had issued two notices on preventing and containing the spread of the virus, demanding that schools at all levels take preventative measures as a matter of urgency. He pledged that the MOE and the education system would fully carry out the instructions of President Xi and the guidelines of the CPC leadership, bearing in mind the urgency of containing the spread of the virus. The Minister declared that, the MOE would further introduce well-planned measures and coordinate efforts to prevent propagation of the virus, putting the safety of teachers and students first.

A five-point action plan was announced at the meeting. The first task was to monitor the implementation of two MOE notices by schools across the country, and further update them in the light of developments on the ground, to ensure that their measures remained relevant and feasible. Second, it was necessary to forecast worst-case scenarios regarding the challenges ahead and take precautionary measures accordingly to minimize the risks to students and teachers. Third, obtain accurate numbers of confirmed and suspected cases of the novel coronavirus among students and teachers using big data. Fourth, require schools at all levels to guide students and teachers in making best use of their winter holiday and track their movements. Fifth, improve epidemic prevention and control capabilities in rural areas, including strengthening communication efforts.