Worried About Infection Amid Learning Pressure... Academy District Faces Dilemma Due to 'COVID-19'

Until the third week of delayed school opening, parents in Daechi and Mokdong are just watching
If absent, "Only my child will fall behind"... If normal operation resumes, "Boycott of academies" is threatened

Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, the government has postponed the start of the new semester for elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide by two weeks. On the 3rd, a private academy in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is closed./Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] "Some parents are asking why academies don't close when schools are postponing the start of the semester, while others are insisting on when make-up classes will be held. We don't know which side to listen to." (An academy official in Daechi-dong, Gangnam)

The unprecedented postponement of the semester has left the academy industry anxious. Normally, this would be the time to open new semester classes and focus on securing students, but this year, hit directly by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), academies are worried even about this month's rent and maintenance fees.

According to major academy districts on the 4th, although the government recommended academies to close following the announcement of an additional postponement of the semester, almost no academies have decided to close their doors until the third week of this month, as schools have.

An official from an entrance exam academy in Juyeop-dong, Ilsan, said, "It is too difficult for students to keep up with their studies and for academies to bear the financial burden to close for three weeks like schools," adding, "About 70-80% of academies targeting nearby high school students are operating normally." An academy official in Daechi-dong also said, "As the situation prolongs, every day is precious for anxious examinees, and they might become complacent, so both academies and parents are very worried," adding, "Each academy is busy acquiring equipment to record online lectures and increasing mentor instructors to check students' learning status."

Some parents, considering the need to prevent local infections, have shared the operational status of academies through online communities and social media, urging a boycott of academies that remain open. A parent in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, said, "Even students who have attended academies will be mixed in one classroom when school starts, so I wonder what good it does if only my child stops going to academies and study rooms," adding, "Studying is important, but isn't it more effective if everyone works together to prevent infection at the same time?"

The Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations also issued a statement the day before, saying, "If schools are closed but all academies open and students gather, the effect and meaning of postponing the semester will inevitably be diminished," and urged, "Measures to compensate for damages caused by closures should be devised to encourage academies to participate."

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