In the Seoul Metropolitan Area, In-Person Classes Resume from the 21st... Yoo Eun-hye Says "Further Discussions After Chuseok"

By the 11th of next month
One-third of kindergartens and elementary/middle schools
Two-thirds or less of high schools

Eun-Hye Yoo, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is making an announcement on the 15th at the Government Seoul Office briefing room regarding the resumption of in-person classes in the metropolitan area from the 21st onward.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Starting from the 21st, kindergartens and elementary and middle schools in the Seoul metropolitan area will resume in-person classes with up to one-third of students attending, and high schools with up to two-thirds of students attending. This measure follows the easing of social distancing in the metropolitan area to level 2.

The Ministry of Education announced on the 15th that it held a meeting with the National Council of Superintendents of Education on the 14th at Wonkwang University in Iksan, Jeonbuk, where this decision was made.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye stated, "The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has remained in the 100s for 13 consecutive days, showing a slowdown in the increase, and the number of confirmed cases among students and staff at schools has stayed in single digits since September. Although it is not a situation where we can be completely assured, the Ministry of Education has been able to discuss the resumption of in-person classes in the metropolitan area, where full remote learning has been in place."

Schools nationwide, including those in the metropolitan area, will officially resume in-person classes from the 21st, but this will be until the 11th of next month. Since the Chuseok holiday has been designated as a special quarantine period, the policy for in-person classes after the 12th of next month will be decided again through consultations with health authorities and education offices.

In non-metropolitan areas, the principle of applying strengthened measures to minimize density during the same period will be maintained, but school density may be partially adjusted depending on local conditions. Special schools and small schools with fewer than 60 students will maintain the existing in-person attendance policy.

All Classes Must Conduct Real-Time Morning and Afternoon Meetings During Remote Learning Period
Remote Learning All Week, Check-in via Phone or SNS at Least Once a Week
Maintain 45 Minutes per Session for Elementary, 50 Minutes for High School During Remote Learning

To improve the quality of remote learning, all classes must conduct real-time morning and afternoon meetings during the remote learning period. Teachers should use real-time video conferencing programs or social networking services (SNS) to check student attendance and health status in real time and communicate on topics such as an overview of remote learning content. For students who are unable to participate, teachers must convey the morning and afternoon meeting content via phone or individual SNS and identify any special issues. If remote learning continues throughout the week, teachers must consult with students and parents at least once a week via phone or SNS.

Furthermore, the proportion of interactive communication between students and teachers during remote learning will be gradually expanded. Real-time interactive classes or feedback must be conducted at least once a week. The duration of each remote learning session should be maintained at 40 minutes for elementary school, 45 minutes for middle school, and 50 minutes for high school.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, "To close the learning gap, we will carefully inspect and strive to ensure that the efforts of the government and education offices are felt on the ground," adding, "To reduce the burden of school site quarantine, we will push to secure 40,000 remote learning assistants and school quarantine assistants to help close the learning gap."

The Ministry of Education and the council plan to continuously seek additional improvements through surveys on remote learning targeting teachers, students, and parents via the Ministry of Education website.