Ministry of Education: "Measures Will Be Taken by Each University to Prevent Disadvantages for High School Seniors in College Admissions" (Comprehensive)

Various universities considering multiple measures
School-specific announcements planned soon
Suneung exam remains unchanged so far... no changes

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Each university is expected to announce measures related to college admissions soon.

On the 9th, Park Baek-beom, Vice Minister of Education, said in a briefing on in-person classes, "Each university is devising various measures," and added, "We plan to announce them by school soon, and we ask for your understanding that we cannot disclose details in advance."

Earlier that morning, Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, appeared on a radio broadcast and stated, "We are consulting with university authorities and the Korea Council for University Education (KCUE) to ensure that high school seniors do not suffer disadvantages, and a finalized plan will be announced in July."

Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), high school seniors have been unable to attend school for extended periods, raising concerns that they may be at a disadvantage in the rolling admissions process. This is because there is relatively less content to record in their school life records compared to last year.

However, the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) is expected to proceed as scheduled. This year's CSAT is set for December 3rd. Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, "Since the date was already postponed once and announced as December 3rd, and students are preparing accordingly, changing the schedule again could cause more confusion on the ground. We are focusing on preparing without any disruptions according to the planned schedule."

Meanwhile, on the 9th, one day after all grades resumed in-person classes, 520 schools in seven cities and provinces nationwide adjusted their in-person class days. According to the Ministry of Education, as of 10 a.m. that day, the number of kindergartens, elementary, middle, high, and special schools that adjusted their attendance increased by three from 517 schools the previous day.

At 1 a.m. that day, one additional confirmed case each was reported at an elementary school and a middle school in the Incheon area. Vice Minister Park Baek-beom said, "It was confirmed that the infection occurred through contact with a confirmed case who is the maternal grandmother," and added, "The affected schools immediately switched to remote classes, and screening tests are being conducted for all 699 related individuals." He also stated, "So far, there have been no confirmed cases of infection within schools."

The Ministry of Education, together with metropolitan and provincial offices of education, has established a plan to support approximately 40,000 personnel through budget support. After-school instructors and volunteers are conducting activities such as temperature checks during student arrivals and departures, maintaining distance between students, supporting meals, and managing class divisions. Additional personnel will be deployed.

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