"Children Struggling to Sit Still: Anxious Parents of Disabled Students During Online Schooling"

Expansion of 'Online School Opening' to All Grades on the 20th Due to COVID-19
Parents of Disabled Students: "Online Classes Themselves Are Difficult... Lack of Consideration for Disabled Students"
Experts: "Need for Teaching Methods That Consider the Specific Needs of Disabled Students"

On the 8th, at Seoul School for the Blind, a special school for visually impaired students located in Jongno, Seoul, remote classes were conducted due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A teacher is seen conducting a class with students using a braille information terminal and braille books. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-joo] A (42, female), who has a 4th-grade elementary school child with autism level 2, has been having hectic days since online classes started. It was not easy to get the child, who finds it hard to sit still, to attend online classes, and there were many things to pay attention to. In the end, A decided to be satisfied with just having attendance recognized. A said, "Since it is the first semester, it is difficult to make various demands to teachers who have never seen my child," adding, "I understand the school's position, but honestly, I am disappointed with the class method that does not accommodate students with disabilities," expressing her frustration.

B, a parent in her 40s with a 6th-grade child attending a special school, received teaching materials tailored to her child's special needs but complained that it still fell on the mother. B said, "I tried several times to soothe my child and attend the class together. But the child knows the difference between the teacher and the mother, so they reject and throw tantrums repeatedly," and expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "It is difficult for the child to participate in class, so we received separate materials, but it is essentially the parent's study, not the child's."

On the 20th, as online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic expanded to cover all grades from 1st to 3rd grade in lower elementary school, the concerns of educationally vulnerable groups deepened. Especially, parents raising children with disabilities showed reluctance, saying the class methods do not consider students with disabilities. It is practically impossible for students who already find it difficult to attend classes at school to attend online classes at home and submit assignments.

Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye briefing on the plans for the reopening of elementary, middle, and high schools and the basic plan for the College Scholastic Ability Test implementation to respond to COVID-19 at the Government Complex Sejong in Sejong City on the 31st of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, the Ministry of Education announced the 'Remote Learning Measures for Students with Disabilities' on the 1st. It included providing subtitles, sign language, and braille for students with visual and hearing impairments during remote classes, and combining remote learning with home visits for students with developmental disabilities. Also, from the 6th, the National Institute of Special Education opened an 'Online Learning Room for Students with Disabilities' to support remote classes by special education teachers. However, it was found that the learning room is also supported via an online link, requiring someone to assist the student beside them to participate in the class.

Special school teacher C said, "There is a gap in levels, so the online learning room, which was opened to accommodate students with disabilities who need individualized education, cannot proceed without help," and criticized, "We asked for alternatives because online classes are difficult, but it is still online in the end."

C said, "It is frustrating. Parents of students with disabilities, who are always a minority and cannot speak out loudly first, are suffering double hardships," emphasizing, "We need to be accommodated first before asking for accommodation."

Parents of upper-grade students, who already started school on the 16th, also pointed out the ineffectiveness of online classes. On parent community cafes for children with developmental delays and disabilities, comments such as "This class is nonsense for my child," "There is bound to be an educational gap," and "Special class teachers are few and want to teach directly at school, but the education office does not allow it," have been continuously posted.

On the morning of the 17th, a teacher is conducting a class with students online at an elementary school in Dajeong-dong, Sejong City. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News.

A post titled 'I called the education office regarding online classes' was uploaded in a community of parents of children with developmental disabilities. The author, who claimed to be a parent of a child with developmental disabilities, expressed dissatisfaction with policies that do not consider the characteristics of students with developmental disabilities.

The author said, "My child barely manages to block media. If I give them a smartphone or computer, I am afraid of the consequences," and added, "Currently, the Ministry of Education's online classes seem like a policy that does not consider special children, especially students with developmental disabilities at all, so I called the education office."

They continued, "Talking to the person in charge who only emphasizes non-face-to-face learning and online felt like talking to a wall," and lamented, "Special class teachers said they would provide one-on-one education for an hour a day considering the children, but it was blocked by the Ministry of Education."

Experts emphasized the need for countermeasures to prevent learning decline among educationally vulnerable groups.

Lee Seong-gyu, director of the Korea Foundation for Disabled Persons, explained, "Special education inevitably varies in content and methods depending on the type and degree of disability," adding, "Therefore, there are many concerns and worries on the ground due to 'online classes.'"

Director Lee emphasized, "It is difficult to consider online lectures as guaranteeing the educational rights of people with disabilities because severely disabled students find it hard even to use online devices," and stressed, "We need to reflect on how indifferent our society has been to crisis situations and how unprepared we were with countermeasures and systems, and adopt an attitude that does not repeat mistakes."

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