Online School Opening Scheduled for the 9th Next Month... No Measures for Arts, Physical Education, and Meister High Schools

Measures to Prevent Small-Scale Infections
Issues Exposed and Lack of Alternatives
Controversy Over Fairness Between Current Students and Repeaters

On the 30th, ahead of the government's announcement regarding the opening of elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide, a classroom at Yeongpung Elementary School in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was empty. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The government's sudden decision to implement a phased online school opening and postpone the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is interpreted as choosing a middle ground between two challenges: the ongoing concern over small-scale infections mediated through schools and minimizing confusion caused by further delays in school openings. However, the decision to postpone the CSAT has sparked controversy over 'fairness' between students with different circumstances, such as current students and repeat test-takers, raising calls for detailed measures and alternatives.

Lee Manki, director of Uway Education Evaluation Research Institute, explained, "Current students are likely to have significantly fewer activities recorded in their student records due to the delayed school opening," adding, "Even if they engage in first-semester activities, these must be conducted online, which also has limitations." He predicted, "No matter how much universities consider the special circumstances, current students will inevitably be at a disadvantage in terms of self-introduction letters compared to graduates from specialized high schools and autonomous private high schools (repeat test-takers)."

Earlier, as school openings were postponed three times, the education sector consistently raised concerns that graduates would have an advantage in next year's admissions. Graduates have been attending classes at cram schools since mid-March, whereas current students have been unable to attend school for about a month. Additionally, the shortened summer vacation, which is the time for current students to finish regular coursework and focus on CSAT preparation, may also work against them. Graduates are especially likely to stand out in the comprehensive student record screening process. Although the graduate application rate for this screening is known to be around 20%, and their acceptance rate is much lower, this year’s situation is expected to be different.

On the 31st, a notice prohibiting entry due to COVID-19 is posted at a high school in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

The Ministry of Education's additional measures following the school opening delay mainly focus on the admissions schedule, which also leads to fairness controversies. There are almost no measures related to arts high schools or Meister high schools, which focus on practical training. A representative from the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations said, "Arts and specialized high schools have almost no related online content, so if the number of school days and hours are recognized the same as regular high schools, it raises questions about whether this is being managed fairly," adding, "It seems like the responsibility is being shifted only to other schools and teachers without properly preparing the environment."

Meanwhile, the education sector views a one- to two-week postponement of the CSAT as inevitable. The currently announced CSAT date is November 19. If postponed by one week, it will be held on November 26; if by two weeks, on December 3. According to the Enforcement Decree of the Higher Education Act, the Ministry of Education must finalize and announce the CSAT schedule, including the exam and score notification, by the 31st. Since its introduction in 1993 (for the 1994 academic year), the CSAT has been postponed three times: in 2005 due to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan, in 2010 due to the G20 summit in Seoul, and in 2017 due to the Pohang earthquake.

Lee Youngdeok, director of Daesung Academic Development Research Institute, said, "Even if the CSAT is postponed, there should be no major problems if the grading schedule is moved up," adding, "Regular admissions are based on CSAT scores, so it is not very complicated. However, early admissions applications will be tight for universities due to document screening schedules, but it is not impossible."

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