In-Person Classes Allowed Until 9 PM at Metropolitan Area Academies Starting the 18th

With the 2021 College Scholastic Ability Test just three days away on the 30th, the spread of COVID-19 shows no signs of slowing, increasing anxiety among test-takers. Tension is palpable in the academy district of Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul on this day. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Private academies with 10 or more students in the Seoul metropolitan area will be allowed to conduct in-person classes starting from the 18th.

On the 16th, the Ministry of Education announced that this measure will be implemented following the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' (CDSCH) additional supplementation of operational guidelines for academies and private tutoring centers after the 18th. According to the supplemented operational principles for academies and tutoring centers, from the 18th to the 31st, academies in the Seoul metropolitan area can, in principle, hold in-person classes until 9 p.m. The Ministry of Education explained that this is a supplementary measure to alleviate financial difficulties caused by the prolonged business restrictions on academies and tutoring centers in the metropolitan area.

However, academies conducting in-person classes must comply with quarantine measures such as limiting the number of people to one per 8㎡ within the academy, seating students two seats apart, and prohibiting food consumption. The Ministry of Education plans to, in principle, prohibit wind instrument and singing lessons?which carry a relatively high risk of infection through droplets?and the operation of lodging facilities within academies, but will allow limited operation if enhanced quarantine rules are followed.

Specifically, for academies offering wind instrument and singing lessons, one-on-one lessons between instructor and student in a single space are generally allowed. However, if a distance of 1 to 2 meters is maintained and partitions are installed, lessons with up to four students are permitted.

Regarding lodging facilities within academies, residents must be quarantined for two weeks as a preventive measure and submit a negative test certificate after undergoing a pre-admission diagnostic test. After admission, going out is generally prohibited, and residents must follow rules such as no eating except in the academy cafeteria, wearing masks, ventilating the facility, and refraining from in-person classes. Staff at the lodging facilities must also separate their movement paths from residents and use a self-diagnosis application (app).

The Ministry of Education stated, "Academies and tutoring centers in the metropolitan area allowed to operate under the current social distancing measures must strictly comply with quarantine rules to proactively prevent confirmed cases," and added, "We will continue to strengthen management of academies violating quarantine rules in cooperation with related agencies."