Online teaching is authorized to start from Feb. 10 in senior high schools, according to information released Thursday by the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau.

Online lessons should be less than 40 minutes in duration. Subject teaching can be arranged in two consecutive classes, one for instruction and the other for Q&A.

The length of online elective courses is advised to be less than 30 minutes.

Schools should arrange at least one time slot for physical exercise and two time slots for eye exercises each online instruction day. Instructors should guide students in the exercises and remind students to fulfil household duties.

Each class is advised to establish online learning teams comprised of five to seven classmates. A team leader will be designated to give feedback to teachers and collect homework.

Homework should be limited to 30 minutes per subject and total homework each day should take less than two hours. It is advised to emphasize discussion and summary work, according to the authority.

Districts across the city also released online teaching plans amid the virus outbreak to ensure studies can commence before the delayed start of the spring term.

The Luohu District Education Bureau announced that schools are authorized to organize two weeks of online learning starting Feb. 17 till the epidemic is fully contained.

A Nanshan District education and science research institute also said in a notice that all schools in the district will start the spring term Feb. 17 followed by two weeks of online learning.

The notice suggests schools make full use of an online learning platform called Air Class (空中课堂) developed by the institute to deliver lessons.

The Yantian District Education Bureau has developed a solution that involves three modes of online teaching, namely live classes, recorded classes and hybrid live-and-recorded classes, to equip schools to continue teaching under the present circumstances.

It was said that the district has confirmed teachers of each subject are allowed to record lessons for students to watch online.

The Guangdong Education Department said Wednesday that schools can arrange classes for weekends and shorten the summer holiday to ensure there is sufficient class time in the new term.

Schools are not allowed to resume the new term before Feb. 17. Before that date, schools are urged to make full use of online educational resources.

Schools are also advised to arrange programs on epidemic prevention and control and psychological counselling when the new term starts, according to the department.