Shanghai schools to reopen starting April 27

Shanghai's education authority announced on Thursday that schools across the city will begin to reopen on April 27.

Lu Jing, director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, said at a news conference held by the municipal government that students in the final year of senior and junior schools will resume lessons on April 27, while colleges and secondary vocational schools will also be allowed to reopen if they gain approval.

Meanwhile, schools of other grades should be prepared for students to return before May 6. The education authority is still deciding on the specific re-opening period for these groups of students, Lu added.

"Students from elementary schools and kindergartens are relatively weak in their ability to protect themselves so they require more attention and better safety measures. We are being more cautious about their back-to-school timing," Lu said.

The city has also banned on any offline training and services by training institutions before elementary and middle schools and kindergartens resume on-campus education.

All levels of enrollment and graduation tests will be carried out successively from May 10, according to Lu.