"Cheoeumannaedo Ireoke Eungwonhaeyo" Non-face-to-face Support for CSAT Amid COVID-19

COVID-19 Spread... School Gate Cheering Banned
Non-Face-to-Face CSAT Support Wave via SNS and Placards
Test Takers "Even Without Seeing Faces, Support Gives Us Strength"

Photo by YouTube 'Yeongdeok High School YBC' video capture / YouTube 'Yukmingwan High School' channel capture

Photo by YouTube 'Yeongdeok High School YBC' video capture / YouTube 'Yukmingwan High School' channel capture

[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kim Young-eun] Due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), this year's College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) cheering also continued in a non-face-to-face manner without meeting in person. Every year, on the day before and the day of the CSAT, it was easy to find parents and school juniors cheering in front of the exam site gates, but this year, cheering in front of the gates is completely banned to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Previously, all high schools switched to remote classes from the 26th of last month to ensure CSAT quarantine. The Ministry of Education recommended that academies and private tutoring institutes refrain from face-to-face lessons starting one week before the CSAT, and also advised examinees to avoid using academies and tutoring centers.

On the 1st, Seoul City announced that cheering events in front of exam sites on the day of and the day before the CSAT would be prohibited. The city also requested parents to refrain from waiting or gathering in front of the school gates where the exams are held.

Additionally, according to the Chungbuk Provincial Office of Education on the 2nd, the province sent an official letter to frontline schools on the 20th of last month, containing instructions to switch all on- and off-campus gatherings to non-face-to-face formats until the CSAT day, to refrain from using multi-use facilities, to ban cheering events on the CSAT day, and to avoid cheering activities.

On the 2nd, a banner cheering on examinees was posted in front of Baekma High School in Gyeonggi. Photo by Young-eun Kim, intern reporter youngeun928@asiae.co.kr

In response, students are continuing non-face-to-face cheering by posting cheering videos or messages on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram instead of prohibited on-site cheering like at the school gates.

At Jungdong High School in Seoul, which has held traditional CSAT cheering ceremonies for over 10 years, this year's cheering ceremony was canceled, and instead, a cheering video they produced themselves was broadcast during online classes. The so-called 'CSAT departure ceremony' was replaced with a video cheer produced by the school broadcasting club, planning a non-face-to-face cheering method.

Also, students at Yeongdeok High School in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, uploaded a video titled '2021 Yeongdeok High School CSAT Prayer Ceremony' on YouTube on the 1st to cheer for examinees. Through the video, the students conveyed a message: "Seniors of Yeongdeok High School's 3rd grade! We warmly cheer for you who have been running toward your dreams. We hope you achieve good results as much as you have worked hard."

Moreover, YouTuber 'Ulsan Big Whale Park Sung-joo,' who has 870,000 subscribers, also sent a cheering message to Yeongdeok High students through this video. At the end of the video, Yeongdeok High students created the phrase "Fly with wings and soar" on the playground using LED candles.

Students and teachers of Yukmingwan High School in Wonju, Gangwon Province, also uploaded a video titled 'Yukmingwan High School 2021' on YouTube on the 27th of last month to cheer for 3rd-grade examinees. In the video, 1st and 2nd graders made short cheering videos by class, and in the latter part of the video, students danced together to music on the playground to support the 3rd graders.

In addition, in front of Baekma High School in Gyeonggi Province, banners cheering for examinees were lined up. Instead of the usual cheering in front of the school gates on the day before and the day of the CSAT, they decided to cheer for examinees with banners.

Kim (19), a 3rd-grade student at Baekma High School who attended the preliminary gathering before the CSAT, said, "I wanted to experience cheering in front of the school gate at least once on the CSAT day, but it's a bit disappointing that I can't because of COVID-19. Still, I received support through numerous banners, and juniors cheered me on by delivering snacks and masks through teachers, which gave me strength."

Another examinee, Park (19), also said she received non-face-to-face CSAT cheering. Park said, "Usually, the church would hand out gifts directly to examinees during the worship service the week before the CSAT, but this year, they hung gifts on the front door knob and put some in the mailbox. They also made cheering videos and sent them, so even though I couldn't see their faces, I am grateful for the support and care from those around me."

A support gift cheering for the College Scholastic Ability Test is hanging on the front door handle of a high school senior in Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Young-eun Kim, Intern Reporter youngeun928@asiae.co.kr

Furthermore, cheering gifts such as yeot (traditional Korean taffy) and glutinous rice cakes wishing for success were delivered via courier or mobile gift certificates instead of being handed directly to examinees. Lee (51), who has a 3rd-grade examinee daughter, said, "Before my youngest daughter's CSAT, we received various mobile gift certificates from relatives and acquaintances. I was surprised to see gifts that I never thought could be delivered by courier, and I felt that the way of giving gifts has changed in line with the COVID-19 era."

She added, "I remember that when my eldest daughter took the CSAT four years ago, relatives gave gifts like chocolates or glutinous rice cakes in person, but this year, due to the circumstances, all support seems to be through courier or gift certificates."

In response, the quarantine authorities also emphasized refraining from cheering in front of schools, which poses a risk of COVID-19 spread, ahead of the CSAT. Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said at a briefing on the 1st, "The Ministry of Education requested refraining from cheering and waiting in front of school gates on the CSAT day," and urged examinees, their families, and school officials to thoroughly participate in quarantine measures on the CSAT day.

Meanwhile, the CSAT held amid the COVID-19 situation will enforce social distancing among examinees, and separate exam sites will be prepared for confirmed cases, self-quarantined individuals, and symptomatic examinees. Although the number of examinees is about 490,000, the lowest ever, education authorities said they are preparing for any emergencies by maximizing the number of supervisors and exam rooms.

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