Students to Receive Same-Day COVID-19 Test Results Before Suneung Exam... No Disruptions Expected

Ministry of Education and Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Review Quarantine Measures

▲ Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Ministry of Education and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency discussed the response system for the stable administration of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) and follow-up measures for the secondary teacher employment examination.

This came as a large number of COVID-19 cases were confirmed among examinees just one day before the secondary teacher employment examination.

On the 22nd, the Ministry of Education announced that if any examinees take a COVID-19 test on the day before the CSAT, which is on the 2nd of next month, they will receive their test results on the same day and be assigned to appropriate test centers to take the exam, with cooperation systems established with health centers, hospitals, and other testing institutions.

On the 20th, one day before the secondary teacher employment examination, nearly 600 examinees were subject to COVID-19 testing as confirmed cases continued to emerge at the Noryangjin teacher employment exam academy in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. This raised concerns that a similar situation could recur ahead of the CSAT.

Regarding the secondary teacher employment examination held the previous day, COVID-19 diagnostic testing will be conducted for substitute teachers who took the exam in separate test rooms within general test centers and for supervisors in those separate rooms.

A joint investigation by relevant agencies will be launched into the Noryangjin teacher employment exam academy, where the cluster infection occurred.

The Ministry of Education explained that if the investigation reveals that the infection spread due to negligence in quarantine measures at the academy, legal actions such as fines under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, claims for damages, and criminal charges may be taken.

Additionally, the Ministry of Education sees the need to revise school quarantine guidelines due to the drop in winter temperatures and prolonged suspension of attendance by symptomatic individuals. They plan to discuss revising the guidelines in the future, including changing the location for fever screening to ensure accurate temperature measurement upon school entry and defining the range of symptoms eligible for exceptions.

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