Preschools and cram schools nationwide were allowed to reopen on Tuesday, although with strict COVID precautions in place. It was a welcome development for parents, who said that after two months of juggling their kids and their jobs, they’re happy to be getting some relief.

It’s early in the morning, and this little girl can barely keep her eyes open, while this boy clings tight to his mom. After a two-month closure, preschools reopened on Tuesday, bringing smiles to parents’ faces nationwide.

The children had to say their good-byes at the gate. On the first day of the reopening, parents were prohibited from stepping inside.

Teachers took temperatures and gave each kid a spritz of disinfectant at the entrance. Some of the children came equipped with not just masks but also visors. Parents said they do have COVID fears, but that it’s high time to go back to school.

The central government has strict guidelines for the reopening. Everyone inside the preschools must wear a mask at all times, and leave 1.5 meters of social distance inside classrooms. All meals must be set meals, eaten at a safe social distance with partitions between each kid.

Cram schools were also allowed to reopen on Tuesday, with restrictions that differ based on region. In New Taipei, only cram schools for children up to 12 are allowed to resume. All faculty must have been vaccinated for at least 14 days or have a negative rapid test. The schools must be routinely disinfected, and both masks and visors are mandatory for students and teachers.

Early Tuesday morning, this boy was dropped off at a cram school. His guardian said the reopening is welcome relief.

Aunt of student
I am his aunt. He’s from a double-income family – both his parents work. I myself have to work. Yesterday I got a call from the cram school, and they said we could bring the kids back. So of course I hurried to do so.

At this cram school, there’s only one student attending class in person. Everyone else is online, turning this class into a one-on-one tutorial. The teacher says most of his students have gone south.

Cram school teacher
Most parents sent their children down south during the epidemic. Today is the first day of the reopening, and many parents are still taking a wait-and-see approach. Right most of our classes still mainly have an online audience.

With virus fears still hanging, this cram school operator says the return to normalcy will be gradual, and will depend on the epidemic’s development.