Ministry of Education: "No Accountability for School COVID-19 Case Investigations... Discussing Operation of Emergency Response Team"

Ministry of Education "Will Present Contact Classification Criteria and Diagnostic Testing Methods"
70,000 Quarantine Personnel and Health Teacher Support Staff to be Deployed
Emergency Response Team to Operate During Self-Investigation, in Consultation with Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education

As the government decided to reinforce social distancing measures, students are attending school near an elementary school in Seoul on the 17th, the day it was announced that from the 20th, all schools in the metropolitan area and large or overcrowded classes in non-metropolitan areas will suspend full in-person attendance. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] On the 9th, the Ministry of Education announced that it is preparing various support measures after concerns were raised that the new school quarantine system starting from the new semester would increase the burden on the field and health teachers.

The Ministry of Education stated in a press release that it will provide detailed guidelines to respond to the changed school quarantine measures, and clarified that school-level self-investigations differ from legal investigations and that no legal responsibility will be imposed based on the results of these investigations.

The Ministry plans to distribute the "COVID-19 Infection Prevention Management Guide for Elementary, Middle, High, and Special Schools," which includes methods for self-investigation and diagnostic investigation, as well as the operation of quarantine personnel, to schools.

The Ministry explained, "To ensure systematic response and preparation at schools, we will consult with quarantine authorities to present specific criteria for classifying contacts and methods for contact diagnostic testing that schools can utilize, and guide all school members to participate cooperatively."

Additionally, the Ministry said it is discussing the operation of an emergency response team that can support schools requiring self-investigation when confirmed cases occur, in cooperation with metropolitan and provincial offices of education.

The Ministry announced that it will deploy a total of 70,000 dedicated school quarantine personnel and health teacher support staff to assist with school quarantine tasks such as fever checks, disinfection, and support for contact classification when confirmed cases arise.

Last year, the education authorities supported a total of 1,153 licensed health teachers and nurses. According to the School Health Act revised in December last year, schools with 36 or more classes can assign two or more health teachers. For schools without assigned health teachers or large schools, the temporary appointment of contract health teachers beyond the quota will be allowed on a one-time basis this year.

Previously, the Ministry of Education announced that from the new semester, the school quarantine system would change to a method where schools independently classify, test, and manage contacts.

Concerns were raised that this would increase teachers' workload at schools and provoke strong opposition or complaints from parents.

The National Health Teachers' Labor Union stated in a position paper the day before, "Schools have reached an extreme state of role confusion, having to perform contact investigation and diagnostic functions that were previously handled by quarantine authorities, far from recovering normal daily life."