"Will the School Opening Date Be Confirmed?"... Ministry of Education to Announce Elementary, Middle, and High School Opening Status as Early as the 30th

Official Announcement by Ministry of Education Expected Early Next Week
Under Discussion with City and Provincial Offices of Education
Remote Classes After School Opening to Be Recognized as Regular Classes

Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye announced on the 17th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the plan to postpone the third phase of nationwide kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school openings. The government stated that the opening of all kindergartens and elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide will be postponed for an additional two weeks, from the 23rd of this month to the 6th of next month. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The opening dates for kindergartens, elementary, middle, high schools, and special schools nationwide are expected to be decided early next week.

On the 27th, during an online briefing regarding the confirmation of remote class guidelines held by the Ministry of Education, Lee Sang-su, Director of Curriculum Policy, stated, "The official announcement of the school opening date will be made on Monday or Tuesday next week," adding, "We are preparing through discussions with metropolitan and provincial offices of education."

The Ministry of Education must finalize the school opening date because remote classes can only be recognized as regular class hours once the suspension of classes ends. The remote classes announced on this day are intended as a contingency plan in case confirmed COVID-19 cases occur after school starts, making in-person classes impossible. The director explained, "We have established operational guidelines to substitute when group classes are not possible, and if confirmed cases occur, the guideline is to conduct online remote classes." He also added, "The decision on whether to open school on April 6 has not been made yet and will depend on the trend of the infectious disease."

Once the school opening date is confirmed, the schedule related to college entrance exams is also expected to be set. Previously, the Ministry of Education stated several times that "the schedule for the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) and other college entrance exams will be decided only after the school opening is confirmed."

Remote classes conducted in elementary, middle, and high schools after school opens will be recognized as regular class hours. The method of remote classes may vary depending on the conditions of the school and students. In addition to real-time interactive classes, content-based classes, and assignment-based classes, various classes recognized by the superintendent of education or the school principal can be operated. At this time, schools must secure an appropriate amount of learning equivalent to the 'unit class time (40, 45, and 50 minutes for elementary, middle, and high school respectively)' and ensure that no learning gaps occur.

Attendance can be processed in real-time or after class depending on the school's circumstances. Learning management systems, text messages, and phone calls can also be utilized, and if attendance is confirmed afterward, learning result reports or parental confirmation forms can be submitted remotely. For students who have difficulty participating in remote classes, such as students with disabilities and first and second graders in elementary school, tailored support should be provided to enable individual learning, and measures to improve classes through parental consultations should also be prepared.

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