"Do 3rd Year High School Students Not Catch COVID-19?" Anxious Parents Amid Forced School Attendance

Ministry of Education: "Grade 12 Students to Attend School on the 20th as Scheduled"
"Delay School Attendance" 청원 Surpasses 200,000 Signatures
Experts: "School Opening Policy Should Be Flexibly Changed Based on COVID-19 Situation"

On the morning of the 13th, nutritionists and teachers installed partitions in the cafeteria at Deoksu High School in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "What if my child catches COVID-19 after going to school?"

As the Ministry of Education announced that the return to school for high school seniors will proceed as planned, parents are expressing concerns about the potential spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The controversy has intensified especially with the surge of COVID-19 cases linked to clubs in Itaewon, Seoul. Parents point out that since students gather in confined spaces for classes, a single infected individual could trigger a cluster infection. Experts have suggested that the school reopening policy should be reconsidered.

The Ministry of Education decided to proceed with the scheduled return to school for high school seniors on the 20th.

Park Baekbeom, Deputy Minister of Education, explained at a briefing on the 14th, "We are not considering postponing the return to school for high school seniors, and although we will monitor the situation for other grades, postponement is not under consideration."

Preventive measures against COVID-19 include maximizing the distance between desks and installing partitions in school cafeterias.

However, voices opposing the return to school are growing among parents. They argue that pushing ahead with reopening amid the surge of cases linked to Itaewon clubs is a premature decision.

Among the confirmed cases linked to Itaewon clubs, some minors have been identified. As of 6 p.m. on the 14th, 142 cases have been confirmed.

As of noon on the same day, 13 confirmed cases were under the age of 18. Some of these were secondary infections from academy or private tutors who had visited entertainment venues in Itaewon.

Since minors have been confirmed positive, there is a high possibility that infected individuals have met peers, raising concerns that the infection could spread among students.

A Seoul Itaewon club visited by a confirmed COVID-19 case./Yonhap News

Teachers who spend time together in classrooms also visited entertainment venues in Itaewon and other areas around the golden holiday period.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's voluntary reports from staff as of the 12th, between the 29th of last month and the 6th of this month, a total of 158 staff members, including 53 native English teachers, visited areas with confirmed COVID-19 cases such as Itaewon, Nonhyeon-dong, and Sinchon.

As confirmed cases among students emerge and it becomes known that teachers visited Itaewon and other areas, parents' worries are growing.

Lee (47), a parent of a high school student, said, "I understand that the College Scholastic Ability Test and university admissions are important, but the most important thing is the health of our children," expressing concern that "if even one confirmed case occurs at school, not only the students but also their families will be at risk."

She added, "We need to consider in advance the repercussions if COVID-19 spreads at school," and raised her voice saying, "Now is not the time to reopen schools. I hope the reopening can be delayed a little longer."

On the 11th, when the government postponed the return to school for kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools by one week, a third-grade classroom at Deoksu High School in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, was neatly organized in preparation for students' return.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Consequently, calls to delay the return to school are increasing. In particular, a petition titled 'Please postpone the return to school' has gained over 200,000 signatures as of the 15th.

The petitioner urged postponement of the return to school due to concerns about the possibility of a COVID-19 cluster infection. He stated, "Schools are very suitable places for the spread of COVID-19," and added, "It is practically difficult to supervise students to wear masks at all times, and since group activities are frequent, contact among students is common."

He continued, "I believe the currently operated online classes are a reasonable alternative in situations where returning to school is difficult," and emphasized, "I petition to extend online classes and delay the return to school until COVID-19 is completely eradicated in Korea or a vaccine is developed."

Experts have suggested that the school reopening policy should be flexibly adjusted according to the COVID-19 epidemic situation.

Professor Eom Jung-sik of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Gachon University Gil Medical Center said, "After this weekend, if various situations change, I think the reopening date will be reconsidered. We need to respond flexibly," and pointed out, "Even if efforts such as mask-wearing are made inside schools, safety depends on the external situation outside schools being resolved. It is not something that can be achieved by schools alone."

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