Unprecedented April School Opening... Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Ensures Minimization of Educational Gaps

Ministry of Education Delays School Opening by 2 More Weeks Amid Concerns of COVID-19 Cluster Infections

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] As the Ministry of Education postponed the start of the new semester for all kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide once again due to the spread of COVID-19, the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education is making every effort to minimize the educational gap.

According to the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education on the 17th, the Ministry of Education announced that the nationwide school semester start date will be further postponed to April 6.

The original nationwide school start date was March 2, but due to ongoing concerns about regional COVID-19 infections, it has been delayed by a total of five weeks.

This is a measure to proactively block the risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission to families and local communities by minimizing external contact and movement of students and staff through “social distancing.”

Accordingly, the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education has taken steps to minimize the educational gap by adjusting the academic calendar.

The closure period from March 23 to April 3 will reduce the number of school days by 10 days, and the number of class hours will be reduced proportionally to the reduction in school days.

In preparation for the unprecedented April semester start, the Office of Education has formed and is operating a “New Semester Start Preparation Support Team” led by the Deputy Superintendent.

In particular, the support team will include a quarantine support team, student learning support team, and administrative and financial support team to ensure thorough preparation for the semester start.

The support team will check and support preparations before the semester start, including school facility disinfection, securing and stocking quarantine supplies, ensuring a safe learning environment, hygiene education for staff, students, and parents, fever screening guidance, and measures in case of symptomatic individuals.

Kindergartens and elementary schools will continue to provide additional emergency care services as before due to the semester postponement.

Emergency care will operate until 7 p.m., focusing on teacher-supported learning using platforms such as the HakssupOn site and student autonomous activities, and will provide lunch.

Currently, 799 classes in kindergartens are operating emergency care, with 5,275 students participating. In elementary schools, 173 classes are operating, with 1,417 students participating.

The plan is to strengthen student learning support and life guidance to minimize students’ learning gaps.

Through various online learning services such as EBS online classrooms and e-Hakseupter, a managed online learning system equivalent to regular classes will be operated, and autonomous online learning based on students’ self-directed learning will be supported concurrently.

Teachers will support students’ self-directed learning by providing learning content and core concept-centered teaching materials using online classrooms.

Student life guidance will be conducted through homeroom teachers using SNS group chats to provide individual counseling and life education as needed.

Parents are urged to refrain from visiting multi-use facilities such as academies and PC rooms, and an online parent consultation week will be held for two weeks from the 23rd to the 3rd of next month to ensure academic and life education in connection with families.

In addition, once the Ministry of Education announces changes to the college entrance schedule, the Office of Education will analyze and prepare accordingly.

Efforts will be made to increase the utilization of EBS CSAT special lectures and CSAT-linked textbooks, and strategies for examinees for both early and regular admissions will be organized and guided. Also, response strategy videos reflecting changes in university admissions from 2021 to 2023 will be produced and distributed, and support will be strengthened using the real-time counseling program of Bitgoeul Dream Tree.

During the closure period, efforts will be made to ensure student safety through disinfection and cleaning of school facilities and securing quarantine supplies. With the extension of the semester start for kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools, additional closure extensions for academies will be recommended considering the academic calendar, and the ban on opening school sports facilities will be extended until April 5.

Educational public officials who are non-working during the vacation will return to work normally from March 23 to support semester preparation tasks.

Superintendent Jang Huiguk said, “We will thoroughly disinfect all schools in line with the postponed semester start and gather all capabilities to minimize students’ learning gaps. Above all, we will prioritize the safety of our children and protect their health and right to learn through proactive prevention.”

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