[Deputy Manager Column] Time to Prepare for Prolonged School Opening Delays

On the past Sunday, when the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) rapidly spread, the government postponed the March opening of kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide by one week. Since the self-quarantine period for suspected COVID-19 cases is 14 days, the plan was to monitor the situation for about two weeks, covering the remaining days of February and the first week of March. Parents, who were already anxious and questioning why a closure order had not been issued, breathed a sigh of relief.

However, this was the most optimistic scenario. Within just a few days, the number of confirmed cases and deaths continued to rise, making the situation more serious. The Ministry of Education spokesperson also stated, "If the current situation (with the continuous increase in confirmed cases) continues without positive changes, we cannot rule out considering additional postponements."

There are also predictions that the school opening may need to be delayed not just by an additional week but for the entire month of March or even longer. Some universities that initially postponed the start of the new semester by 1-2 weeks have decided to extend the delay to 4 weeks. They have also begun expanding servers and checking systems to replace some lectures with online classes.

For elementary and secondary schools, there are immediate issues such as adjusting the number of school days and academic schedules, but except for the burden on third-year high school students preparing for college entrance exams, schools can somehow manage. They plan to shorten vacations, allow reductions in school days according to relevant laws, and cancel group events such as field trips, but changing all these schedules in succession is administratively cumbersome and confusing.

The important thing is to prevent the spread of infection within schools. If even one student or staff member tests positive after school opens, the school will inevitably have to close. This is why the Ministry of Education emphasizes and urges students and parents to minimize visits to places outside school such as libraries, public facilities, private academies, and PC rooms. For kindergartens and elementary schools, the ability to properly manage the emergency care classrooms hastily arranged due to the delayed opening will be a critical test for quarantine measures.

On the 25th, the Ministry of Education announced academic operation plans for the new semester in preparation for a prolonged COVID-19 situation. They provided supplementary measures including adjustments to school days and learning management for closures lasting up to 15 days (3 weeks) and up to 34 days (7 weeks), but stated that they will devise new measures if the delay exceeds 35 days (8 weeks). Hopefully, such measures will not be necessary, but even in the worst-case scenario, we expect thorough guidelines and plans from the education authorities to avoid confusion.

/Social Affairs Deputy Chief ikjo@