Ministry of Education Adjusts First School Opening Delay for Elementary, Middle, and High Schools from March 9 to 16
Growing Anxiety Amid Continuous Spread... Additional Closures Inevitable
On the 4th, a notice board announcing the closure was placed inside the gate of Mokun Elementary School in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Mokun Elementary School decided to close after it was revealed that one parent had sat next to the 12th confirmed COVID-19 patient at a movie theater in Bucheon. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The government is considering extending the postponement of the new semester opening by one more week for kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide. As a result, the start date of the semester is likely to be delayed from March 9 to March 16. Initially, the new semester was postponed by one week based on the assumption that the COVID-19 situation would stabilize from the last week of February, but since this did not happen as expected, an 'additional postponement' is deemed inevitable.
According to the education sector on the 26th, the Ministry of Education has begun reviewing a plan to extend the start date of the 2020 academic year by an additional week due to the uncontrollable spread of COVID-19.
Earlier, on the 23rd, the Ministry of Education confirmed and announced a plan to postpone the opening of elementary, middle, and high schools from March 2 to March 9. This measure was taken considering the 14-day incubation period of COVID-19. It was assumed that if signs of stabilization appeared during the week starting on the 24th, schools could open around March 9, when the 14-day incubation period ends. However, as 169 new confirmed cases were added on that day and the spread continued, the Ministry of Education judged that additional closure measures are unavoidable.
An official from the Ministry of Education said, "We will make a decision while monitoring the situation," but added, "If the spread continues as it is, we cannot avoid considering an additional postponement."
The Ministry of Education is seriously considering extending the school opening by one-week increments depending on the spread. On the 23rd, Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, also stated, "We may consider additional postponement measures depending on future circumstances," leaving open the possibility of further delays.
However, if the semester is postponed again, the Ministry plans to announce it with sufficient lead time so that students, parents, and schools can prepare, just as they did with the first announcement. Since Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is currently on-site in Daegu overseeing the situation, the official announcement is expected to be made early next week (early March). Also, considering that confirmed cases are distributed nationwide, a nationwide uniform postponement rather than region-specific measures is likely.
Schools that were adjusting their academic schedules to start on March 9 are preparing for the possibility that the semester may be delayed to the second or third week of March. There is a widespread view among schools that opening in March may be difficult. Some parents have reportedly demanded that the start be delayed as much as possible, saying, "Even if schools open on March 9, I will not send my child to school."
If the semester is delayed by more than two weeks, concerns about childcare will increase, especially for dual-income families with children in kindergarten or lower elementary grades. A school official said, "Parents will barely manage the childcare gap during the first week of March by using personal leave or emergency school care, but if the postponement continues long-term, significant difficulties are expected."
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