[The Editors' Verdict] The Most Important Thing Is the Well-being of the People

Published 14 May.2020 16:55(KST)

The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues to spread both domestically and globally. On a logarithmic scale, the explosive increase in many countries has slowed down.

In South Korea, the spread of infection began in earnest after 58 confirmed cases were reported on February 20. By May 7, the number of new confirmed cases had dropped to under 10 per day, suggesting some level of control; however, recently, new daily cases have risen again to the 20s. COVID-19 is causing changes in the economic and industrial landscape, but the long-term foundation of the economy is education, and education is not exempt from the impact of COVID-19.

One way to confirm that COVID-19, which started in China, has moved beyond stabilization to a level where daily life is possible is whether students are attending school. The fact that young students are going to school means that, even with masks on, some normal activities are possible through quarantine measures, daily life prevention, and social distancing.

Due to the spread of COVID-19 originating from Itaewon, Seoul, the Ministry of Education decided on the 11th to postpone the scheduled staggered school reopening dates for kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide by one week, originally set from the 13th to the 1st of next month.

Accordingly, the high school seniors (Grade 12), who were scheduled to return on the 13th, will now return on the 20th. Following that, Grade 11, Grade 9, elementary grades 1-2, and kindergarten students will return on the 27th. Grade 10, Grade 8, and elementary grades 3-4 will start classes on the 3rd of next month, and middle and elementary grades 5-6 will begin on the 8th of next month.

High school seniors are prioritized for returning to school because they are preparing for university entrance exams. For younger elementary and kindergarten students, who require parental care and assistance, the early reopening schedule was decided considering the special circumstances of dual-income families and the fatigue associated with caregiving.

However, the issue lies with the legally mandated number of school days. As the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic worsened, kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools agreed to reduce the statutory 190 school days by 10%.

Nevertheless, the 10% reduction in the legally mandated school days is only a short-term measure due to COVID-19 and cannot be a long-term solution.

This is because the end of COVID-19 is uncertain, and the speed of social and economic damage is accelerating. Since the situation may change rapidly as it has recently, temporarily shortening the legal school days is possible, but once the situation ends, it must return to the original state. Education is important, but even more important are the people, that is, the citizens of our country.

At a time when COVID-19 is spreading again regionally, is it necessary to fulfill the required school days? If high school seniors must attend school for university entrance exams and other reasons, they can go after confirming a more stable phase. However, for other students, classes have already been opened online, and attending school without knowing how COVID-19 might affect them could be more dangerous. In the case of kindergartens, emergency care can be utilized, and the government needs to provide more active support for this. Additionally, companies should support parents by offering various options such as telecommuting to ensure the safety of their children. Therefore, the safety of these students must be guaranteed, and their safety leads to the safety of parents, which leads to the safety of the community, and ultimately to the safety of the nation. Many people are suffering from COVID-19. In this situation, the economy and education are important. However, the most important thing is the well-being (安寧) of the people, and safety to protect the people must come first.