"If Academies Close, How Will We Prepare for the Suneung?" Examinees Show 'Distress'

Concerns Over COVID-19 Spread in Regional Education Offices, Recommendation to Close Hagwon and Gyoseupso
Cho Hee-yeon, Seoul Education Superintendent: "Essential Decision for Social Safety and Health"
Some Examinees Worry About Grade Decline Due to Hagwon Closures

On the 29th of last month, students at Yangdeok Girls' Middle School in Buk-gu, Busan, are wearing masks during class to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. Photo by Yonhap News.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] "What will happen to the CSAT if academies close their doors?"

As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) spreads domestically, a large-scale infection outbreak is occurring. With the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassing 2,000, high school students and repeat test-takers preparing for this year's CSAT have expressed concerns about infection but also lamented, "It seems like our CSAT preparation will be disrupted." Due to consecutive delays in school openings and academy closures, they say they cannot study properly for the time being.

On the 28th, the Central Disease Control Headquarters of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that as of 9 a.m. that day, 256 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported compared to 4 p.m. the previous day, bringing the total to 2,022. The number of confirmed cases in Korea exceeded 2,000 just 39 days after the first confirmed case was reported on the 20th of last month. This is only two days after surpassing 1,000 cases.

Earlier, on the 23rd, the government raised the crisis alert level from 'Warning' to the highest level, 'Serious.' Accordingly, the Ministry of Education ordered a one-week delay in the opening of all kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide. The Ministry of Education also stated that "additional delays in school openings will be considered depending on future circumstances."

Each metropolitan and provincial office of education has recommended the temporary closure of academies and private tutoring centers to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Accordingly, some academies, including major repeat academies such as Daesung Academy in Noryangjin and Gangnam, have implemented a one-week closure and informed students of this through official websites and text messages. Some study rooms have also reportedly closed temporarily to prevent infection spread.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on the 27th, as of the 26th, about 8,900 out of approximately 25,000 academies and private tutoring centers in Seoul had closed temporarily. This accounts for about 35% of the total.

According to popular exam preparation communities such as Sumanhwi (Let's Wave the Perfect Score Test Papers on CSAT Day) and Orbi, students preparing for the November CSAT this year understand the measures taken due to the COVID-19 spread but express fears that "their grades might drop."

On the 29th of last month, students and teachers at Yangdeok Girls' Middle School in Buk-gu, Busan, are wearing masks and conducting classes using video to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection. Photo by Yonhap News

One examinee said, "I'm very anxious about getting infected with COVID-19 at the repeat academy," adding, "Dozens of people live together in shared spaces and eat together, right? What if I end up compromising my health while trying to study?" However, they also said, "If I apply to leave and go home, I don't think I can study well."

Another examinee said, "My parents told me to take a break from the academy for a while because of COVID-19," adding, "There haven't been any confirmed cases in the nearby area yet, so I wonder if this is being too sensitive, but considering health, I'm debating whether taking a break is the right choice."

Other examinees expressed concerns such as "My actual study time has drastically decreased since the COVID-19 outbreak," "Isn't the March mock exam right after school reopens?" and "I can't study at all at home; this is a big problem."

Experts recommend avoiding going out as much as possible unless absolutely necessary.

Professor Eom Jung-sik, an infectious disease specialist at Gachon University Gil Medical Center, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 24th and said, "It is very important now to minimize social activities and personal contact," adding, "Schools should also show consideration by recognizing sick leave even if students do not formally apply for it when they have respiratory symptoms."

Meanwhile, on the 27th, Seoul Mayor of Education Cho Hee-yeon posted a message titled "An Appeal to Academies in the Seoul Area" on his Facebook page, urging academies to close temporarily.

Mayor Cho stated, "As the spread of COVID-19 is escalating into a serious situation day by day, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has strongly recommended the temporary closure of academies and private tutoring centers," adding, "So far, the closures have not been as widespread as expected. I want to emphasize once again that the closure of academies is not an individual choice but an essential decision for the safety and health of the entire society."

He continued, addressing parents, "I understand that during this urgent time, it is very difficult to leave your young children somewhere," but urged, "Please join forces to prevent further spread of the COVID-19 virus through temporary social distancing."