[On-site Snapshot] Why Parents Take the Initiative First

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] On the 27th, when the movement path of the third confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) was announced, netizens pointed out the neighborhoods he was presumed to have passed through on a map of Seoul based on information from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When it became known that the confirmed patient had used a restaurant in Gangnam, speculative rumors such as "It was OO Chinese restaurant" and "It was XX Korean restaurant" circulated in local communities and social network services (SNS). Although there were some sarcastic remarks like "Why are you making such a fuss?", it was somewhat understandable that parents were particularly anxious since it was a route where young students go to academies, hang out with friends, and have snacks.

Requests to postpone school openings came one after another at each school. Just a few hours after the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education stated that it could consider postponing the school opening, the Ministry of Education reversed the decision, saying that the school opening would not be postponed because "no infection has occurred in the local community." However, as complaints from parents continued, some elementary schools gave parents the option by stating, "Temporary experiential learning will be recognized until early February." Several elementary schools in the Gangnam area, which have not yet started the semester, extended their vacation by a day or two. A vice principal of an elementary school complained, "The school phone lines are burning with calls to postpone the school opening, but the education office is shifting responsibility by saying the principal should decide at their discretion." Parents' anxious complaints continue today, ranging from "Gangnam postponed the school opening, so why is our school doing nothing?" to "Since schools are closing, please also suspend academy classes."

A parent who kept their child absent even before school closures during the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak recalled, "Among mothers, the anxiety that 'I must protect my child' was intense." Following the humidifier disinfectant incident, the Sewol ferry disaster, and then the MERS outbreak, raising children had become a continuous source of fear. At that time, health experts also said, "School closures are not necessary," but in a survey of the general public, 62% evaluated the closure of kindergartens and schools as an "appropriate measure." This was a clear example of the gap in trust between government policy and public opinion.

Separate from quarantine or self-isolation measures for entrants coming through China, education authorities still agree that the best way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus is to follow basic preventive rules. This includes washing hands frequently and maintaining personal hygiene thoroughly. Every time an infectious disease outbreak repeats, the measures still feel far from sufficient to alleviate the distrust and anxiety parents have developed.

/Jo In-kyung, Deputy Head of Social Affairs Department ikjo@

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.