Ministry of Education: "From the 19th, nationwide school attendance expanded to two-thirds"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim On-yu] As social distancing is adjusted to level 1, starting from the 19th, the density restriction standards for kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high schools nationwide, including the Seoul metropolitan area, will be relaxed from within one-third of the total students to within two-thirds. Depending on regional and school conditions, further relaxation of density is possible, and it is expected that the number of schools attending every day will increase by introducing morning/afternoon classes and morning/afternoon grade systems while maintaining density standards in the metropolitan area.

On the 11th, Education Minister Yoo Eun-hye stated at a briefing held at the Government Seoul Office, “Due to the prolonged remote classes, educational gaps and childcare burdens have increased, raising the need to expand in-person attendance.” This relaxation of density is a measure following the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ adjustment of social distancing to level 1 on the same day. Currently, kindergartens and elementary/middle schools in the metropolitan area have one-third of the total students attending, and high schools have two-thirds attending.

The Ministry of Education allowed density adjustments according to regional and school conditions, considering the strong demand for expanded attendance due to concerns about academic gaps. However, the strict limit of two-thirds attendance will be applied only to large schools, overcrowded classes, or schools in the metropolitan area. Outside the metropolitan area, if the school is not large or overcrowded, daily attendance of all students is expected to be possible. For metropolitan area schools, attendance limits must be observed, but by introducing morning/afternoon classes, morning/afternoon grade systems, and staggered attendance times, the number of in-person school days can be expanded, making daily attendance possible as well.

The adjusted attendance method will be implemented from the 19th after a preparation period from the 12th to the 18th.

On the same day, the Ministry of Education also revised academic operation guidelines according to the adjustment of distancing, allowing schools and regions to expand in-person school days based on their conditions. Accordingly, under social distancing level 2, attendance for kindergartens, elementary, and middle schools must still be limited to one-third (two-thirds for high schools), but flexible academic operations can allow attendance to be relaxed to two-thirds. The Ministry added, “Schools that can apply this based on democratic decisions of their members can expand attendance targets while maintaining density as much as possible through flexible methods such as morning/afternoon classes, morning/afternoon grades, and class divisions.”

Furthermore, under social distancing level 2, elementary lower grades will attend in-person classes at least three times a week while maintaining density, and the criteria for small schools (elementary, middle, high) eligible for density exceptions have been adjusted from 60 students or fewer to around 300 students. Large academies with over 300 students, which had been banned from gathering as high-risk facilities since August 19, will be eased to “gathering restrictions,” allowing face-to-face classes. However, multi-use facilities such as academies and private tutoring centers must comply with core quarantine rules.

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