BEIJING — Chinese students will be able to attend classes online or study via television as schools postpone the start of new semester due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, education officials said Feb 12.

The Ministry of Education has issued a guideline for universities to conduct online classes, with 22 online platforms offering 24,000 courses to students, said Wu Yan with the ministry at a press conference.

A "cloud platform" will also be launched on Feb 17 to provide students in elementary and secondary schools with education resources covering all major school subjects, said Lyu Yugang with the ministry.

For students in remote or rural areas with low Internet accessibility, a Chinese education television channel will start airing classes on Feb 17 for them to study at home, according to Lyu.