] With a terse announcement in Wednesday morning
] newspapers, Beijing closed all its primary and secondary
] schools until at least May 7 because of widespread SARS,
] and it said that the 1.7 million affected students should
] study at home using a newly improvised online educational
] service.
 . . .
] In a remarkable homage to the recent, rapid spread of Internet
] use here, the order closing down schools said the authorities
] were opening an "Educational Committee Online School" to help
] students study at home. The site is "providing online question-
] answering and review materials for Beijing's 1.7 million primary
] and secondary school students," the report said. The web address
] is www.bjedu.gov.cn.

Ironic that a low-tech biological bug may be what really catapults China into increased use of the high-tech internet.

The English version of the "Beijing Educational Network and Information Center," btw, is at:
 http://www1.bjedu.gov.cn/english/internet/index.htm