Significant Reduction in School Density for 2nd Semester... Yoo Eun-hye "Also Want Overcrowded Classes to Attend School" (Summary)

Ministry of Education Announces Phased Plan for Full Return to School in 2nd Semester
Full Return to School Until Nationwide Cases Fall Below 1,000
Significant Relaxation of School Density Limits Based on 4-Stage Criteria
Vaccinations for Staff, 3rd Year High School Students, Examinees, and After-School Teachers by August
No Extension for Home Study Attendance Recognition... Vaccination for Students Other Than 3rd Year High School Students Undecided

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] After 17 months of remote classes due to COVID-19, in-person classes will resume nationwide. The school density criteria will be significantly relaxed according to the revised social distancing levels, allowing full in-person attendance when the nationwide confirmed cases are below 1,000. However, measures related to overcrowded schools and classes will be announced in July.

At the briefing on the Ministry of Education’s phased implementation plan for full in-person classes in the second semester on the 20th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye said, "When the nationwide confirmed cases are below 1,000 and the metropolitan area cases are below 500 under the revised social distancing levels 1 and 2, full in-person attendance will be possible by changing the school density criteria. If the nationwide confirmed cases exceed 1,000, the school density will be tightened, allowing grades 3 to 6 in elementary schools to attend up to 3/4 capacity, and middle and high schools up to 2/3."

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo added, "With accumulated experience in school quarantine over the past year and a half, when the daily average confirmed cases per 100,000 people is 1.06, the student infection rate is 0.76, maintaining an infection rate approximately 30% lower. We plan to proceed with vaccination for school staff and grade 12 students as scheduled by the end of August and will do our best to manage full in-person attendance and meal services."

According to the revised social distancing plan, school density is as follows: ▲ Level 1 (nationwide confirmed cases below 500) full in-person attendance ▲ Level 2 (nationwide cases 500 or more) full in-person attendance possible, with middle and high schools allowed up to 2/3 and grades 3 to 6 in elementary schools up to 3/4 depending on regional conditions ▲ Level 3 (nationwide cases 1,000 or more) grades 3 to 6 up to 3/4, middle school 1/3 to 2/3, high school 2/3. From Level 4 (nationwide cases 2,000 or more), classes will switch to remote learning. The Ministry of Education will provide schools with about a week of preparation time when social distancing levels are adjusted. Kindergartens and grades 1 and 2 in elementary schools are exempt from density criteria even at Levels 2 and 3. Small-scale schools, rural schools, special schools, and vocational high schools can have full in-person attendance at Levels 2 and 3.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo explained, "Full in-person attendance is the principle, but in unavoidable cases due to school conditions, partial adjustments to school density are allowed after gathering opinions from school members. About 72% of school members in schools with 30 or more students per class hope for expanded attendance, so we are preparing many measures to enable full in-person attendance through flexible academic operations even in overcrowded classes and schools."

However, the Ministry of Education is not considering extending experiential learning that was recognized as attendance in the first semester of this year and last year. Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, "Since last year, home study recognized as attendance due to COVID-19 was allowed for an average of about 40 days, but there have been no requests to extend this during preparations for full in-person attendance. It is realistically difficult to further extend recognition of off-campus experiential learning as attendance."

The Ministry of Education and health authorities will proceed with vaccinations for school staff, care workers, grade 12 students, and repeat examinees for college entrance exams by the end of August. The order is as follows: ▲ kindergarten, elementary, and middle school staff and care workers, daycare centers (July to August) ▲ grade 12 students and high school staff (from the third week of July) ▲ after-school instructors for elementary, middle, and high schools (July to August) ▲ college entrance exam candidates (early August). The Ministry of Education is consulting with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency regarding priority vaccinations for university admissions officers and arts and physical education academy instructors. Vaccinations for repeat examinees, including those retaking the exam, will be planned by selecting candidates who take the September mock CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test).

Vaccination plans for students other than grade 12 have not been finalized yet. In Korea, Pfizer vaccines are currently authorized only for those aged 16 and older. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is reportedly reviewing lowering the vaccination age to 12. Jeon Jin-seok, Director of the Student Support Bureau at the Ministry of Education, said, "Except for grade 12 students, we have not heard any decisions from health authorities regarding vaccinations. Once a policy is decided, we will discuss the details accordingly."

Measures for overcrowded schools and classes will be announced in July. First, the Ministry of Education plans to convert special classrooms such as multipurpose rooms into general classrooms or deploy modular classrooms. For modular classrooms, schools with demand will be surveyed, and implementation will begin as early as the second semester at feasible schools. Institutional improvement plans related to overcrowded classes will be announced in July through the ‘Comprehensive Education Recovery Plan.’

Oh Seok-hwan, Director of the Education Welfare Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Education, said, "We are investigating and analyzing the current situations of overcrowded classes and schools and preparing response measures, including financial support and institutional improvements. We will comprehensively announce these plans in July."

The Ministry of Education expects herd immunity to be achievable from October and is considering allowing experiential activities, discussion classes, experiments, and practical training based on vaccination progress. Guidelines related to attendance, evaluation, and records, as well as infection prevention management for elementary, middle, and special schools, will be revised and announced early next month.

Additionally, 161.7 billion KRW will be invested to support 10,000 school quarantine personnel for meal services and health teacher support. This will increase the quarantine support personnel from 50,000 in the first semester to a maximum of 60,000. One week before and two weeks after the semester starts will be operated as intensive quarantine and adaptation weeks. To alleviate psychological fatigue and depression among school members, professional medical counseling services will be provided for confirmed and recovered students and staff, and medical treatment costs will be supported for students at mental health risk.