2.7% of 20,902 Schools
Bucheon Has the Most with 251 Schools
Seoul 111, Daegu 6, Guri 5
If 2m Distance is Maintained Outdoors at Schools,
Masks Are Not Required
Deputy Prime Minister Yoo: "Domestic Infectious Disease Situation is Judged Controllable"
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye is delivering opening remarks at the school attendance support status inspection meeting on the 27th. (Provided by the Ministry of Education)
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), 561 kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools scheduled to start in-person classes on the 27th have adjusted their school attendance dates.
The Ministry of Education announced that 2.7% (561 schools) out of a total of 20,902 schools have adjusted their in-person class days. The number of students scheduled to attend includes 2nd-year high school, 3rd-year middle school, 1st and 2nd-year elementary school students, and kindergarteners, totaling 2.37 million students; including 3rd-year high school students, the total reaches 2.81 million students, about 47% of all students.
The adjustment of school days was made as a preventive measure following confirmed cases in the region. The Bucheon area in Gyeonggi Province, where a cluster infection occurred at a Coupang logistics center, had the highest number with 251 schools, followed by Gumi in North Gyeongsang Province with 181 schools, and Seoul with 111 schools. Other affected areas included Daegu with 6 schools, Guri in Gyeonggi with 5 schools, Sangju in North Gyeongsang with 4 schools, Jinju in South Gyeongsang with 2 schools, and Incheon with 1 school.
The adjustment of in-person class days is decided after individual schools and metropolitan/provincial offices of education consult with local health authorities and then hold final discussions with the Ministry of Education.
On the 27th, when in-person classes began for 2nd-year high school, 3rd-year middle school, 1st and 2nd-grade elementary school students, and kindergarteners at over 2,300 schools nationwide, 2.37 million students returned to school. At Seryun Elementary School in Songpa-gu, Seoul, 1st and 2nd-grade students are arriving at school. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
The Ministry of Education also announced updated school quarantine response guidelines. Wearing masks is mandatory indoors such as classrooms and hallways, but outdoors on playgrounds or during outdoor classes, masks are not required if a distance of 2 meters (at least 1 meter) can be maintained or if symptoms such as headaches or shortness of breath occur. Facilities with ventilation should use air conditioning with windows closed and ventilate during breaks.
From now on, after release from quarantine, students can return to school immediately without an additional two-week self-quarantine. Also, if a person visited a screening clinic but did not undergo a diagnostic test, they should rest sufficiently at home, monitor their condition, and attend school once symptoms improve.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye held a video conference with metropolitan and provincial offices of education at the Government Sejong Complex to inspect school attendance and expressed understanding of concerns and worries. Minister Yoo said, "If in-person classes cannot be conducted, there may be a situation where only remote classes are held throughout the year," adding, "Remote classes alone cannot provide sufficient education." She continued, "The quarantine authorities currently assess that the domestic infectious disease situation is controllable within our medical system," and added, "We will manage a new learning method that combines remote and in-person classes, adjusting the number of students attending school to minimize crowding."
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