Illustrations: Luo Xuan/GT

Chinese students might be feeling lucky they're getting an extra holiday due to the COVID-19 epidemic, but it's not all do-nothing, free-time. Many are taking online classes at home, arranged either by their school or from various online learning platforms. It's not entirely been a smooth learning curve for some students and parents who aren't very tech-savvy. It was reported that some online study platforms have crashed due to the large number of users. A mother surnamed Fang told the Time Weekly that she has to keep a close eye on the platforms and WeChat groups 12 hours a day so she doesn't miss an important message. Some people think staring at a computer or mobile phone screen for a long time could harm a student's eyesight. Teachers are also feeling overwhelmed, as many are unfamiliar with teaching online classes. Some are having to record videos and post them online. While online classes can be an alternative way of teaching during the epidemic, many schools are exploring different solutions to supplement learning to ensure the health and education of students.