Gwangju Office of Education: "Do Not Attend School If You Have Symptoms Like Fever or Self-Diagnosis"

Establishing Criteria for Hybrid Classes to Minimize Student Density

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education inspected the preparation status for in-person classes at schools and provided various support measures on the 27th in anticipation of the return to school for kindergarteners, 1st and 2nd grade elementary students, as well as 3rd grade middle school and 2nd grade high school students.

The Gwangju Office of Education announced on the 26th that since the 18th, a specialist has visited each elementary, middle, and high school in the district to check classroom and cafeteria distancing, student movement routes, and to survey and support the schools' requests.

To ensure students' safe school life and reduce staff workload after the resumption of in-person classes, ‘health guardians’ will be assigned according to school size: 1 person for 1 to 19 classes, 2 persons for 20 to 29 classes, 3 persons for 30 to 40 classes, and 4 persons for 41 or more classes.

In particular, to ensure safety after the return to school, guidelines for combining in-person and remote classes have been established and provided for classes and schools with high student density.

The criteria for overcrowded classes and schools are as follows: for elementary schools, more than 30 students per class and a total enrollment of 1,000 or more students.

For middle schools, more than 30 students per class and a total enrollment of 800 or more students; for high schools, more than 30 students per class and a total enrollment of 900 or more students. Schools meeting these criteria that request combined classes will proceed in consultation with the Office of Education.

Even if the criteria are not met, schools that need combined classes to alleviate student density can operate them after consultation with the Metropolitan Office of Education. However, combining in-person and remote classes can only be operated with the agreement of school members and consultation with the Office of Education in unavoidable cases to minimize close contact among students for infection prevention.

To implement combined classes, schools must establish plans to reduce student density, operate curricula according to class timetable changes, and support student meals. Combined classes can be operated on alternating days or alternating weeks.

Based on this, schools conduct a first consultation with the Metropolitan Office of Education, which then conducts an on-site inspection of school space relative to student numbers. Afterwards, schools survey opinions from staff and parents, and if more than 50% of parents agree, a second consultation with the Office of Education is held before operation.

Currently, some schools classified as overcrowded are negotiating with the Office of Education regarding combined classes. These negotiations will continue until June 8, when all grades return to school. Through combined classes and measures such as classroom distancing, thorough efforts will be made to prevent student infections and ensure safety.

Superintendent Jang Hwikuk stated, “Students should conduct self-diagnosis at home before attending school daily to check for fever or cough, and must not attend school if they have COVID-19 related symptoms. Combined classes should only be implemented when unavoidable, prioritizing student safety, and will be carried out with thorough preparation to ensure students’ right to learn.”

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