There is no need to require all the teachers to record their own video classes for students, said the Chinese Ministry of Education on Tuesday in response to reporters' questions on its website.

Due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, schools across the country have postponed opening, originally scheduled around mid-February, and classes have been moved online. 

Some teachers are holding real-time online classes while others are using video lessons recorded in advance, and some are using both the methods. But in some regions, recording video classes is mandatory for all teachers.

The ministry said making all the teachers record their lessons in advance will increase teachers' burden and is wastage of resources, and online classes should be organized according to the characteristics of different courses.

According to the ministry, kindergartens have been prohibited from holding online teaching activities. Meanwhile, students in lower grades in primary schools can choose whether to have online classes or not. At the same time, it is mandatory for older students to attend online classes for a specific period of time.

Furthermore, the ministry said schools should not ask students to attend online classes every day, urging them to ensure students have adequate rest and also focus on physical fitness.

According to a guideline previously released by the Chinese Ministry of Education, more than 24,000 online courses have been opened to university students to guarantee the continuance of academic activities during epidemic prevention and control period.

Besides, some examinations have also been postponed, including Tests for English Majors (TEM) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

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