About 97% of Schools in the Seoul Metropolitan Area Expected to Attend In-Person
Three-Quarters of Overcrowded and Oversized Elementary Schools in Seoul Able to Attend
On the morning of the 6th, when most schools nationwide have started the new semester, a teacher is conducting a class in a 4th-grade classroom at an elementary school in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul.
Starting from the 22nd, kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools in the metropolitan area and nationwide will begin full in-person attendance. Even if a student who has been vaccinated has a cohabitant who tests positive, the student will be allowed to attend school if certain conditions are met.
On the 18th, the Ministry of Education announced, "It is expected that 97% of all schools in the metropolitan area will implement full in-person attendance," adding, "Home study days will be maintained as before and will be reduced starting from the new semester next year."
While full in-person attendance is the principle in the metropolitan area, guidelines have been prepared to allow flexible attendance up to two-thirds for oversized and overcrowded schools depending on the region. The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has indicated that students in grades 3 to 6 can attend at least three-quarters of the time, and middle and high school students can attend at least two-thirds of the time. Gyeonggi Province and Incheon have guidelines allowing staggered attendance after 9 a.m. for oversized and overcrowded schools. Gyeonggi Province supports online alternative learning for students whose attendance has been suspended due to COVID-19 and encourages real-time online and offline classes for both attending and non-attending middle and high school students.
The Ministry of Education has revised school quarantine guidelines reflecting measures for vaccinated individuals, ventilation, and meal-related quarantine rules. If a student's cohabitant is under self-quarantine, students who have completed vaccination are allowed to attend school. Students who have not completed vaccination can attend if they have a negative PCR test result conducted within 48 hours before attending. If a cohabitant tests positive, attendance is allowed if the PCR test result is negative, the student was fully vaccinated at the time of close contact, or if there are no clinical symptoms. When a confirmed student is released from isolation, they can attend school without a PCR test if released from isolation.
Additionally, the operation of designated seating in school cafeterias is recommended. If partitions are installed, students may sit in all seats, but if partitions are not installed, seating must be spaced apart.
The Ministry of Education will provide additional support for school quarantine personnel and budgets in preparation for full in-person attendance in the metropolitan area. A 'School Life Quarantine Guidance and Inspection Team' consisting of 1,361 members will be formed and operated, and joint inspection teams with local governments and education offices will also operate until the end of the year.
As student movement for university entrance exams intensifies starting from the 19th, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, local governments, and universities will cooperate to focus on quarantine management. For isolated examinees, arrangements have been made to allow them to take university-specific evaluations such as essays and interviews at separate exam sites within the university. For confirmed examinees, universities are strongly encouraged to actively utilize non-face-to-face interviews and other methods.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
