Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education "Full Remote Classes for Seoul Elementary Schools and Kindergartens from 15th to 31st"

On the morning of the 7th, the first day of remote classes for middle and high schools in Seoul to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), a mask-wearing guidance poster was hung on the gate of a school in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the Seoul metropolitan area intensifies, it was announced on the 13th that all classes in elementary schools and kindergartens in Seoul city will be switched to remote learning.

All schools in the Seoul area must switch to remote learning until the end of the year.

Small-scale schools (elementary, middle, and high schools with around 300 students, kindergartens with about 60 students), which had previously been exempted from remote learning, must also switch entirely to remote learning.

Middle and high schools in Seoul city have already been conducting full remote classes since the 7th. The remote learning period for middle and high schools was originally scheduled until the 18th but has been extended by ten days until the 28th of this month.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education initially planned to maintain the existing academic operations for elementary schools and kindergartens due to concerns about care gaps at home, but as the COVID-19 spread accelerated, they switched to full remote learning.

Full remote learning is a measure implemented at social distancing level 3.

Currently, social distancing level 2.5 is applied in Seoul and the metropolitan area, but measures corresponding to level 3 have been taken.

The Office of Education plans to operate care classrooms equivalent to emergency care and support remote learning to prepare for care gaps caused by remote learning in elementary and special schools.

In the case of kindergartens, care services will continue to be provided for children who have difficulty receiving care at home after school.

By the end of the year, the Office of Education has identified that about 75% of elementary schools in Seoul city, totaling 453 schools, 78.8% of kindergartens, totaling 614 institutions, and 53.1% of special schools, totaling 17 schools, will enter winter vacation.

Cho Heeyeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, said, "In response to the national disaster situation, we will prioritize the safety of our students through proactive academic operation measures equivalent to level 3 and do our best to prevent care gaps."

Meanwhile, as of midnight on the same day, the daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Seoul area reached 399.

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