Feature: Rome tutor says she's in her element with online teaching during pandemic

ROME, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Kate Nicholls has been extolling the virtues of online distance learning long before the coronavirus pandemic made it a reality for many students and their teachers.

The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the way young people are taught in Italy -- as it has in many countries. All Italian schools were closed last year starting in March as part of the country's initial coronavirus lockdown, effectively mandating at-home learning at all grade levels. Most schools reopened for the fall semester in September, but by November a new decree sent 4 million older students in Italy back into some kind of distance learning program.