Yoo Eun-hye: "Rapid Spread Among Students and Staff... Considering Level 3 Situation in the Seoul Metropolitan Area"

Discussion on Cooperation Support between Education Offices and Local Governments for Quarantine

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo: "We Will Prepare Together with Education Offices for Proactive Situation Response"

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye is speaking at the 'Related Agencies Inspection Meeting for Strengthening School Quarantine in the Metropolitan Area' held at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 24th. This meeting was organized to seek cooperation measures to ensure student safety and stable academic operations at schools amid the elevation to social distancing level 2 due to the resurgence of COVID-19. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The Ministry of Education announced that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye held a school quarantine inspection meeting on the 24th at 1 p.m. at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, together with superintendents of education from the metropolitan area and Yeom Tae-young, chairman of the National Association of Mayors, Governors, and District Heads.

At the meeting, they discussed cooperation measures between education offices and local governments for stable academic operations amid the resurgence of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as well as support for quarantine personnel and activities in metropolitan area schools.

Last semester, the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with metropolitan and provincial offices of education, deployed about 40,000 personnel to support quarantine activities at school sites and also supported remote classes for students participating in emergency care through remote learning assistants. The Ministry plans to discuss cooperation measures between education offices and local governments while requesting active cooperation from local communities.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, "Thanks to the nationwide superintendents of education and the mayors, governors, and district heads supporting school sites, our schools were able to successfully complete the first semester," adding, "If local governments and education support offices nationwide collaborate, the burden of managing school quarantine and remote classes for elementary care will be drastically reduced."

He continued, "It would be good to confirm the status of quarantine personnel supporting schools, centered on the local governments' ongoing Hope Job Project, and proceed with discussions to further activate this support."

He also stated, "The spread among students and staff is very rapid," and added, "We will promptly and proactively assess the situation, assuming that social distancing level 3 could be implemented at any time in the metropolitan area, and prepare accordingly with the education offices."

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