Available to take exams in separate test rooms; partial credit given if absent
Submit attendance method and return home immediately after school
If absent on day 2 due to symptom worsening, submit supporting documents
KF94 mask recommended for all school members during final exam period
Lee Sang-min, the 2nd Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety), is giving an opening remark at the COVID-19 Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 20th.
The government has decided to maintain the 7-day quarantine requirement for COVID-19 positive cases for four more weeks. The only exception allowed is for infected students to take their final exams.
Lee Sang-min, the 2nd Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) and Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated in the CDSCH meeting on the 20th, "We have decided to postpone the transition from mandatory quarantine for positive cases until June 20, extending it for four weeks," adding, "The 7-day quarantine requirement will remain in place, and we plan to reassess the situation after four weeks based on the epidemic status."
He said, "Please understand that this is an essential measure to ensure a smooth transition to the general healthcare system and to protect public health," and added, "Until the reassessment, we will listen to experts' opinions and further specify reasonable criteria for transitioning from mandatory quarantine."
Students who test positive for COVID-19 will be allowed to participate in the final exams starting next month. Schools must operate separate exam rooms and arrange staggered arrival and departure times for infected students, as well as separate restroom use. If operating separate exam rooms is difficult, sufficient distance must be maintained between examinees. The distance between examinees in the exam room should be at least 1.5 meters, or at least 1 meter if partitions are installed.
During the final exam period, everyone on school premises must wear KF94 masks at all times. Infected students should avoid using public transportation and must submit their arrival and departure methods to the school. After leaving school, they must return home immediately, and if they enter places such as libraries or private academies, it will be considered a violation of quarantine rules and may result in penalties. If a student misses an exam due to COVID-19 infection, it will be treated as an excused absence with full credit (100%) granted, as before.
If a student takes the exam but is unable to attend the next day due to worsening symptoms, they must submit a medical certificate or opinion issued by a medical institution proving the symptom aggravation. In principle, selectively taking only some subjects of the exams held in one day is restricted.
An official from the Ministry of Education explained, "To restrict selective attendance, full credit (100%) will not be granted without medical documentation. If a student misses the exam without submitting proof, 80% credit will be applied, equivalent to a sick absence, and if they miss the exam without any notification, it will be treated as an unexcused absence."
Final exams for middle and high schools nationwide will be held from early June to early July. Most high schools will conduct exams from June 27 to July 1 (71.5%) and July 4 to 8 (21.13%), while most middle schools will hold exams from July 4 to 8 (48.27%) and June 27 to July 1 (45.06%).
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
