Tomorrow Nationwide Kindergarten and Middle-High Schools Start... Kindergarten, Grades 1-2, and Grade 12 Attend School Daily

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Kindergarteners and elementary, middle, and high school students nationwide will start the new semester attendance from the 2nd.

According to the education sector on the 1st, the 2021 academic year new semester attendance will begin simultaneously on the 2nd at kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide. Depending on the social distancing level in response to COVID-19, kindergarteners, 1st and 2nd graders in elementary school, and 3rd graders in high school will attend school every day, while other grades will attend on alternate weeks or alternate days.

Students of special schools and small-scale schools can also decide autonomously whether to apply density restrictions up to level 2.5, allowing daily attendance. The criteria for small-scale schools have been expanded this year from approximately 300 students school-wide to include ▲ schools with 300 or fewer students or ▲ schools with more than 300 but 400 or fewer students and 25 or fewer students per class.

Accordingly, the number of small-scale elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide has increased from about 5,000 to about 6,000. This accounts for about half of the approximately 12,000 elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide.

Some education offices have allowed 3rd graders in middle school (Daegu) to attend school daily or have given schools the autonomy to decide daily attendance for 1st graders in middle school (Seoul). For those not subject to daily attendance, it is expected that students will attend school 2 to 3 times a week, on alternate weeks, or attend 2 out of 3 weeks, similar to last year.

If the social distancing level is adjusted during the semester, the school attendance density will also change. At level 1, the principle is to keep density below two-thirds, but adjustments are possible; at level 1.5, two-thirds density is applied.

At level 2, the principle is one-third density (two-thirds for high schools), but it can be expanded up to two-thirds, and at level 2.5, kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools must all comply with one-third density. If level 3 is raised, classes will switch to remote learning.

If the quarantine authorities reorganize the social distancing system, the principle of school density itself may change. The Ministry of Education plans to operate the academic schedule within the most predictable range to minimize confusion at school sites.