According to the Ministry of Education, there are approximately 1.6 million Chinese students studying overseas, 1.42 million of whom still remain abroad. As the COVID-19 spreads across the world, the Chinese government will arrange temporary flights to bring minor students back home from the UK due to the severe epidemic situation.

From March 4 to 26, China has dispatched nine flights to pick up 1,457 Chinese citizens, including students from Iran, Italy and other severely affected regions, said Lu Erxue, deputy director of the civil aviation administration. 

For overseas students who have been back home, they are still facing challenges in several aspects. On the one hand, school applications for the new semester will be disrupted. On the other hand, for students who have enrolled, they need to deal with the delayed start of school, time difference when watching live-streamed class, as well as the cancel of boarding applications.

In addition, the psychological counseling of overseas students is also very important, especially for minor students who have studied abroad without the companionship of their family members, plus, they may also suffer from racial discrimination.

At present, primary and secondary schools in China have been opened in succession, while international schools still encounter challenges when China temporarily bans entry of foreigners. What will be the best solution for minor students to accept school education? JMDedu will continue to follow.