If everyone on Forumosa storms the government…
Nope, not an option. social distancing.
They are still doing online learning
Guess they can’t pull that one in public schools… no reliable online platform 
right, but if schools are closing because they don’t want kids near each other/ spreading this to each other and families, the common sense protocol would be to cancel the inevitable mass travel and subsequent gatherings that will take place next week (two weeks from now?) in the form of people gathering around graves.
or reliable internet access. It’s amazing how many kids don’t have computers are home. And don’t know how to use them when you bring them to a computer lab… Cellphones? No problem. Computers? nope.
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It’s also going to be mainly young people heading back to their hometowns to visit their elderly relatives.
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I would be happy if schools closed for two weeks. And I’m saying that as a part-time teacher who would lose most of his livelihood.
My buxiban and uni had students coming back from China and Macao who did the two-week quarantine thingie, but may be asymptomatic. There’s one kid from China who sits right next to me. He’s got a mask on, but the fucking thing isn’t covering his nose. After three reprimands, I sent him out of the classroom.
There’s a very real danger from the asymptomatic younger potential carriers.
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Also young people are getting more affected by this than initially reported out of China
Literally one of the biggest reasons American college students on spring break right now are true shits. If these cases start to spread among Taiwan’s elderly…well, I might be able to afford a house here after all.
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Their 40yos children still won’t sell the estate. It is already impregnated in their blood not to sell real estate. The higher you dream about this the higher the fall.
It’s fine. I don’t plan to retire here and I have a good 30+ years before retirement anyway. At the rate home prices have risen over the past few years (up, but not much) and the cost, I could live in my current apartment assuming a 7% increase in rent every 2 years for at least 75 years and still come out on top price-wise. If the market doesn’t want to correct, I’ll just not own a home here 
Sorry for derailing the schools thread with housing. I still say the government better see school closings = no Qingming.
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Haven’t they been shits every Spring Break?
yeah but they’re particularly shits this spring break because they were explicitly asked by their schools, the government, family, friends, old people, celebrities, Taylor Swift… to #StaytheFuckHome and didn’t because they think they’re invincible. Not to mention Florida is where all the old people retire to. Do tell me that’s a good idea to spread the virus around.
Yes - this is what I heard. They realized that with universities in the US and elsewhere on Spring Break or suspending classes many families were going to expect older children currently in college abroad to come back to Taiwan. For TAS, next week is the regularly scheduled Spring Break anyway, so shutting down the school for the break 2 days early when the government tightened its position last Wednesday seems pragmatic.
The interesting question will be what happens 10 days from now. Will the school re-open its campus, or go back to e-learning? I expect they do not know yet and will only decide a week from now based on the prevailing conditions.
Because it’s not that easy, especially for younger kids. Managing 5 separate Google Classroom pages, each with it’s own assignment thread and subject thread plus chat rooms full of links. That can be pretty overwhelming for an 8 or 9 year old, even some parents at first if they are unfamiliar with online learning.
Plus it’s an added challenge for international students trying to manage in a foreign language.
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Yeah, I spent about 2 hours a day with my kids (each) when we did e-learning in February. It’s not just managing the accounts and printing the sheets, but someone has to actually teach them as well. They can’t do Chinese homework without oversight. For math, someone needs to walk them through their questions.
TAS just announced e-learning (which they’re now calling distance learning) for next week. They confirm that there have been 0 cases yet at TAS and that this is prompted by TAS alumni returning home from colleges closed down abroad.
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Looks like all schools are going back to regular classes. TAS included.
I guess they’re all waiting to see if the govt is going to lock down. I’m not looking forward to teaching a crowded room full of kids. A mask isn’t going to keep you safe IMO
A lot of us have been teaching ever since this virus started. The vast majority of schools have been in session. No problems so far. The key is to spend time to educate your students about wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining proper distance. Then practice, practice, practice and enforce your rules never letting up.
Most kids do take it seriously. The kids I teach do.
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This isn’t going to help much if they went to kenting for the weekend or if their siblings came back from the US because they were studying here.
I agree that hand washing and social distancing are important… But if someone is infected in your class, they won’t help much. Especially if they’re around you every day. One door knob or pencil touching can infect many people.
Many people traveled offer the long weekend and the 14 day quarantine is voluntary…
Also many siblings of my students have returned from the US and their quarantine is also voluntary.
I think Taiwan is being irresponsible by allowing schools to continue.
I’m not sure about your classes, but it’s impossible for me and my students to social distance in my class.
That’s why the CDC says if it is impossible to keep the recommended distance, then wear masks.
Washing hands throughout the day, wearing a mask, disinfecting shared surfaces between classes…all of this helps.
I’m sure you will be fine.
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