Allowing 'Home Study' Within About 2 Weeks After School Start; Consideration of Awarding Recognized Scores if Exams Are Missed

Ministry of Education Holds 13th New Semester Opening Promotion Team Meeting
Discusses Detailed On-Site Support Measures

Daily Self-Health Management Checks Starting One Week Before School
Attendance Prohibited if Any Symptoms in Survey, Attendance Recognized

Includes Home Study and Off-Campus Experiential Learning
Plans Needed for Credit Recognition and Alternative Exams

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] After switching to in-person classes, home study will be allowed for about two weeks, and measures will be put in place to grant recognized scores and offer alternative exams for those who are unable to take tests.

The Ministry of Education announced on the 7th that it held the 13th New Semester Opening Preparation Task Force meeting and discussed such on-site support measures together with vice superintendents of metropolitan and provincial offices of education.

From one week before the transition to in-person classes, students and staff must check their health status at home every morning and submit it to the school. The survey includes questions about ▲fever ▲symptoms such as sore throat, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, nausea, or loss of taste or smell ▲and any overseas travel within the past 14 days. If any of these apply, the individual cannot attend school. However, absence will still be counted as attendance.

Park Baek-beom, Vice Minister of Education, said, "If this situation continues, people will have to visit screening clinics for tests, so it cannot be abused recklessly," adding, "If tested negative, they must come to school, so I do not expect absences to last long."

At school, masks must be worn at all times and can only be removed during lunch breaks. All windows in school buildings must remain open during class hours, and the Ministry of Education recommends running air conditioners with at least one-third of the windows open. This is because when classroom temperatures rise while wearing masks, people tend to touch their faces more frequently to adjust masks, increasing the risk of infection. Operation of air purifiers is discouraged.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Education includes home study as part of off-campus experiential learning only during infectious disease crisis alert levels of "serious" or "caution." While traditional experiential learning mainly involved visiting relatives or outdoor activities, learning activities conducted at home are now recognized. In this case, a prior application form (study plan) must be submitted, and approval and a subsequent report must be filed to be counted as attendance. Although the period is generally about two weeks as a short "choice of attending school," the duration varies by education office, and consultations between offices will be held.

If students are unable to take written exams normally, recognized scores will be granted or alternative exams can be taken. For example, if a student misses the midterm exam due to illness, 80% of the student's final exam score from the previous second semester may be recognized. Lee Sang-soo, Director of Curriculum Policy, explained, "Allowing various alternative exams raises fairness concerns," adding, "Since anyone can be affected, we have taken measures to have each school establish reasonable methods for granting recognized scores through prior regulations."

Kindergartens will also recognize off-campus experiential learning including home study as classes, and remote classes using various educational content such as play kits will be conducted.

The Ministry of Education will form and operate a "Comprehensive Support Situation Room for In-Person Classes" to enable rapid on-site support. It will share related information and respond to emergencies in coordination with situation rooms established by each education office. Additionally, schools at all levels will utilize support personnel such as after-school instructors and retired teachers to help maintain physical distancing among students and guide mask-wearing.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye said, "We will act calmly but swiftly so that parents, students, and staff can all feel safe in school life," and added, "We will spare no support or effort until schools return to normal."

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