Universities fight to stay SARS free

Premier Wen Jiabao (second from right) having lunch with Peking University students during a weekend survey of SARS prevention measures.

THE SARS outbreak has had an impact on life at universities and colleges, to some degree, in most parts of the country.

There is expected to be little travel during the holiday and fewer campus activities. Courses have been interrupted temporarily at several SARS-hit schools.

There is some understandable concern among students, but, the worries do not appear to be growing.

Students in various cities told 21st Century reporters and correspondents that they were co-operating with their schools in the fight against SARS and were optimistic about winning the battle.

A GOVERNMENT circular last week told college teachers and students in Beijing not to leave the capital during the May Day holiday.

Any student who insists on leaving for home has to obtain written permission from their school, attesting to their health.

But, before the circular was released, in the first few days of fear, some students left.

They have been told to keep in contact with the school and can return only when they have been notified.

While they may feel relieved to be back home, there are some staying on campus who say they think it is safer there.

"The university has taken steps to prevent the spread of SARS, and I feel safe here," said one male student at Renmin University.

Classes are still being held at Renmin but many teachers don't keep the students for the full class period.

The time spent away from classroom teaching lets students spend more time in the dorm surfing the Internet for SARS news and movies to watch.

In a few SARS-hit areas, such as Northern Jiaotong University and Central University of Finance and Economics, it means a month-long holiday.

Still, some students get bored with so much free time and nowhere to go. Others, however, are thrilled at the prospect of a long holiday.

A sudden interest in exercise has appeared on campus. Badminton is a favourite. It's played everywhere and at all hours, even in the evening under streetlights. Girls can be seen on the basketball courts, an area usually dominated by boys.

Students have come to think that a strong body and preventive measures will defeat the disease.

"Campus is full of sports and energy and I am confident a united move will defeat SARS," was how Chen Xiaobin, a student of International Politics at Renmin, put it.