Daesung Academy: "If Quarantine Measures Are Prioritized, Repeat Students Should Also Be Allowed Face-to-Face Learning"

- Uncertain Online Remote Classes Increasing Anxiety Among Repeat Students and Parents
- Continuous Demands from Repeat Students and Parents for In-Person Classes

Yesterday (the 16th), the doors of eight Daesung Academy main branches opened for the first time in four weeks for the September mock exam (mock test). Six commuting academies?Daesung Academy (Noryangjin), Gangnam Daesung Academy, Gangnam Daesung Academy Humanities Annex, Gangnam Daesung Academy Science Annex, Gangnam Daesung Academy (Songpa), and Busan Daesung Academy?and two dormitory academies, Gangnam Daesung Dormitory Academy Main Building and Medical School Building, have been operating under an online remote learning system since August 20th in accordance with government policy.

After taking the mock exam, commuting academy students returned home immediately, while dormitory academy students will return home by today (the 17th).

With the college entrance exam (Suneung) approaching, Daesung Academy students must return home and rely on online remote classes to prepare. This contrasts with the easing of social distancing to Level 2 in the metropolitan area, which allowed academies with fewer than 300 students to reopen from the 14th, and high school seniors are attending school normally. Although both groups are preparing for the Suneung, there is a disparity in learning rights depending on whether they are current students or repeaters (N-susaeng).

Before switching to online remote classes in August, Gangnam Daesung Dormitory Academy (Medical School Building) conducted a survey of parents. When asked about the academy’s COVID-19 measures, 702 out of 741 respondents (95%) wanted their children to remain at the academy, while only 23 parents (3%) preferred their children to return home. One parent said, “The academy is safer than outside. At this point, with the Suneung so close, I hope my child can study safely and focus at the dormitory academy.”

Additionally, a petition titled “Please open comprehensive repeat academies so that N-susaeng can study safely” posted on the Blue House National Petition Board on the 14th received over 5,000 signatures within three days.

A Daesung Academy official stated, “Early admissions applications start on the 23rd. High school seniors receive admissions counseling at school, but under the current circumstances, Daesung Academy students can only receive counseling via phone or online. We feel very sorry that we can only support the students who have worked hard toward the single goal of the Suneung through phone and online means. Also, as remote classes continue indefinitely, we keep receiving calls from parents asking when the academy will stop neglecting the students, but we are sorry that we cannot open the academy due to the current reality.”

Finally, the Daesung Academy official added, “If online remote classes continue as they are, it is clear that the academy will face severe difficulties. But putting aside academy management, I want to ask who will take responsibility for the N-susaeng who have trusted and waited for Daesung Academy. We must prevent the waiting and patience of N-susaeng, who are overcoming last year’s admissions failures and even the trauma of failure to dream anew, from turning from thirst into anger.”