Schools in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, have launched online courses to help students continue their studies during the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to relevant regulations, online courses have been designed mainly for middle school students, while primary schools are advised to offer only guidance on students' study. Kindergartens are not allowed to carry out online lessons.

Local middle schools have selected a group of outstanding teachers to use online platforms such as QQ, WeChat and professional online teaching apps to provide lessons for the new semester.

A number of high-quality online curricula produced by national-level platforms, such as China Education Television and Xuexi.cn website and app, are also available to local students.

The city's education bureau has also produced a series of curricula involving reading, writing, calligraphy, sports, cooking and psychological health for students. Special online answering sessions and psychological consultations have also been introduced.

In response to the national call for reducing myopia rates among Chinese adolescents, the education authority has given strict limits to the duration of online lessons.

Those for primary school students should be no longer than 20 minutes each and the total duration per day should be no longer than 80 minutes. A single lesson for middle school students should be no longer than 30 minutes, while the total duration per day should be no longer than three hours for junior students and four hours for senior students.