Education Office Announces '2021 High School Admission Process'
Proceeding as Usual
Science High School Applications in August, General High School in December
Online Opening of Elementary, Middle, and High Schools Under Review
If School Opening Delayed Again on the 6th of Next Month,
College Entrance Exam Schedule Likely to Be Postponed by 1-2 Weeks
The hallway of Yeongpung Elementary School in Songpa-gu, Seoul, is empty on the 30th as the government is about to announce its stance on the opening of elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee and Wondara] Despite the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the high school entrance examination will be conducted as usual without any changes from previous years.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced the "2021 Seoul Metropolitan High School Entrance Examination Basic Plan" on the 30th. The main schedule is as follows: application period for science high schools is from August 24 to 26, for arts high schools and Meister high schools from October 19 to 22. For specialized high schools, special recruitment is from November 26 to 27, and general recruitment is from December 3 to 4.
General high schools and autonomous public high schools, including autonomous private high schools, foreign language high schools, and international high schools, mostly accept applications from December 9 to 11. Among late admission high schools, only Hankwang High School and Korea Samyook High School, which operate arts and physical education focused classes, accept applications from December 8 to 9. However, due to the spread of COVID-19, the high school entrance examination schedule may be subject to change in the future. If any special circumstances arise, the schedule must be re-announced at least three months before the examination date.
On the 30th, a teacher is recording a class video at Hwibong High School in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, which was designated as a remote education pilot school. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@
The government plans to finalize discussions regarding the opening of elementary, middle, and high schools on the 6th of next month by the 31st and announce the decision. The education authorities are considering postponing the school opening further or implementing online classes instead of in-person attendance on a school-by-school basis. If the school opening is delayed once again, the deadline for submitting student records for the first semester early admission (August 31) will be postponed accordingly, which will likely delay the College Scholastic Ability Test schedule by about one to two weeks.
Meanwhile, Seol Hoon, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on CBS radio that morning and stated, "It is clear that the school opening will be phased. For third-year high school students, it seems difficult to attend school immediately; it will likely start online and gradually move to in-person attendance."
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