Many schools are still closed in China as part of efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Online courses have therefore become the main way for students to keep up to date with school subjects.

To reduce possible damage to students’ eyesight that may result from the use of electronic devices, China’s National Health Commission on Saturday issued guidelines, setting the maximum online study time for students in schools. primary and secondary.

The commission suggested that students’ online study time be no more than two and a half hours a day and no more than 20 consecutive minutes at a time. For college students, the upper limit of time to study online should be four hours a day, he said, with no more than 30 consecutive minutes at a time.

After schools open, schools should reduce teaching time with electronic products, according to the guidelines.

“Online learning reduces costs, spreads quickly and has a wide coverage area,” Xu Haifeng, director of the children’s book publishing arm of the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, told CGTN. “But it also has drawbacks because it’s bad for children’s eyesight and young students often find it hard to concentrate on learning materials in front of a computer.”

Some parents, on the other hand, lament that it is almost impossible to implement the advice because high school pressure means a lot more time for online learning.

“My husband and I have to spend a lot of time monitoring if our son is using the cell phone to study instead of playing games. I certainly accept the advice to set the maximum online study time for students, but it may not be easy to achieve as they have to spend hours a day doing their homework – which is also assigned and submitted online,” a mother named Yan, who has a 12-year-old son, told CGTN. years.