Ministry of Education Strengthens Nationwide Special Inspections of Entrance Exam Academies... "Disclose Names if Infection Caused by Academy Negligence"

Strong Recommendation to Avoid In-Person Tutoring Ahead of the Suneung Exam

On the 25th, as the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in South Korea intensifies daily, citizens lined up to get tested at an on-site screening clinic set up in the parking lot of Dongjak District Office in Seoul for proactive testing. Dongjak District recently established the on-site screening clinic to prevent further spread related to the group infection at the Noryangjin civil service exam academy. The on-site screening clinic operates from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for three days from this day until the 27th. The period may be extended if the number of testees increases. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) intensifies, the Ministry of Education has decided to strengthen intensive inspections of nationwide entrance exam academies ahead of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scheduled for the 3rd of next month.

The Ministry of Education announced on the 17th, "We will strengthen special inspections of entrance exam academies nationwide until the CSAT," adding, "For entrance exam academies and private institutes that have not switched to remote classes, we will conduct intensive quarantine inspections alongside checks for violations of the Academy Act."

The Ministry of Education has announced plans to conduct surprise inspections at night after 5 p.m., when students are expected to gather. Since the special quarantine period for the CSAT will be in effect until the 3rd of next month, they strongly recommend that students refrain from attending academies and private institutes and that face-to-face lessons at academies be minimized.

Currently, the names of two academies have been disclosed: an academy in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, where 4 students were additionally infected after an academy instructor tested positive, and an academy in Gangnam, Seoul, where 3 students were additionally confirmed positive after one academy attendee tested positive. The Ministry of Education has informed that fines may be imposed on academies or users violating quarantine rules, and if infections spread due to the academy's negligence, legal responsibilities such as claims for damages and criminal charges may be pursued.

In response to concerns that group infections originating from academies could recur just before the secondary school teacher appointment exam ahead of the CSAT, the Ministry of Education has decided to strengthen inspections. During the secondary school teacher appointment exam held on the 21st, 88 confirmed cases (as of 7:30 p.m. on the 24th) occurred at a large appointment exam academy in Noryangjin, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, just before the exam. The Ministry of Education has launched a joint fact-finding inspection with related ministries and is reviewing compliance with quarantine rules and violations of the Academy Act.

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