Intravenous education: China hospitals set up ‘classrooms’ so sick children can study during nationwide outbreak of respiratory diseases
- Medical centres across China allow children to do homework on a drip
- ‘Homework zones’ face online criticism that they are unfair on children
As China enters a seasonal outbreak of respiratory infectious diseases, the issue of special “homework zones” being set up in hospitals for primary and secondary school students has become the subject of much public debate.
Recent photos of young pupils doing their homework in hospital have gone viral on mainland social media, the state broadcaster CCTV reported.
In some areas including the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui, and central Hubei province, young patients are provided with desks, chairs, and a high infusion frame for them to study while on an intravenous drip.
Parents can be seen accompanying their children and helping them with their studies, the report showed.
Several years ago, a number of medical centres across the country were hailed for setting up such zones.
Many more hospitals have followed suit this year amid an autumn surge in the number of primary and secondary school students who have fallen sick with respiratory diseases, like the flu.
