Yoo Eun-hye "Full Return to School Should Happen from September"
Health Authorities "Comprehensive Assessment of the Outbreak Situation Needed"
Experts "If Full Return to School Occurs, Strict Compliance with Quarantine Rules Is the Only Option"
A teacher is welcoming students at an elementary school. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "Is it okay to attend school when confirmed cases keep appearing?", "I hope children go to school to close the learning gap."
The Ministry of Education's plan to implement full in-person classes for all grades in kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools starting from the second semester has sparked mixed opinions among parents. While some believe that full attendance is premature due to ongoing small-scale cluster infections, others argue that in-person schooling can no longer be postponed to address educational disparities caused by COVID-19. Experts have stated that careful consideration is needed since vaccination plans for students other than high school seniors have not been finalized.
On the 17th, Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, held an expert advisory meeting on COVID-19 school quarantine measures and emphasized, "We will prepare with the goal of full attendance in the second semester starting this September."
She added, "Thorough school quarantine must be a prerequisite for full attendance," and stated that preparations will be made through consultations with metropolitan and provincial education offices nationwide as well as quarantine authorities.
Previously, the education authorities expanded proactive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and aimed to complete vaccination of all school staff by the summer vacation to facilitate full attendance in the second semester. Vaccinations for special school workers and health teachers in kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools began on the 12th of last month.
However, vaccination plans for students remain uncertain, raising concerns about full attendance. The quarantine authorities are negotiating to complete vaccinations for high school seniors, who are preparing for the College Scholastic Ability Test, by the end of summer vacation in August. However, the vaccination status of adolescents under 18, excluding high school seniors, is still under discussion.
Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is delivering a greeting at the expert meeting on COVID-19 school quarantine held on the afternoon of the 17th at The-K Korea Teachers' Credit Union Grand Conference Room in Yeouido, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Given this situation, quarantine authorities have taken a cautious stance, stating, "We need to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak situation." At a regular briefing that day, Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said regarding the requirements for full attendance in the second semester, "It is necessary to comprehensively assess the scale and pattern of confirmed cases, as well as the occurrence of transmission and outbreaks within schools."
Regarding vaccination of students and staff, she said, "We are consulting with the Ministry of Education to ensure that teachers can be vaccinated early," but added, "(However) regarding student vaccinations, the scope of vaccine approval needs to be changed first."
In response, voices expressing concern about full attendance have also emerged on mom cafes and other online communities. One netizen expressed through a mom cafe in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, "Since students have not yet been vaccinated and there is no vaccination plan, full attendance seems risky. I am also worried about how they will attend classes all day while wearing masks."
There were also concerns about meal times when masks must be removed. Another netizen said, "It would be different if meals were not served, but having all students attend school is dangerous," and added, "Even if measures like partitions are taken in the cafeteria, it is still unsettling. I hope schools provide options for meal participation."
Students are returning home after attending classes at a high school in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the other hand, some argue that as non-face-to-face classes increase, the academic gap may widen, and thus in-person attendance can no longer be delayed.
One netizen commented through a mom cafe in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, "In-person classes are necessary. Aren't there many children in blind spots of care?" and added, "People are already crowding tourist spots, and department stores are seeing sales increases due to revenge spending, so I don't understand why full attendance is opposed. If full attendance is difficult, I hope at least selective attendance is allowed."
In this regard, a survey result also showed that remote classes conducted for over a year due to COVID-19 have deepened learning disparities.
A survey conducted by the Education Autonomy Research Institute targeting 1,012 students, 299 teachers, and 336 parents in the Jeonbuk region, totaling 1,679 respondents, revealed that only 20.4% of students answered that "remote classes are sufficient to understand the learning process." The response "I do not understand" was higher at 34.6%.
Also, when asked whether online learning helps concentration in studying, nearly half (49.8%) of the students answered "not at all" or "no." Only 17.5% responded "yes."
Experts pointed out that if full attendance is implemented amid concerns about student infections, adherence to personal quarantine guidelines is the only option.
Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "Vaccination plans for students other than high school seniors have not yet been established. Even if teachers are vaccinated, it does not mean herd immunity can be achieved in classrooms," and added, "Ultimately, students must continue to wear masks and maintain social distancing as they have done so far, strictly following personal quarantine measures."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
