Elementary School Orientation Also Online... Replaced by Drive-Thru and Video Calls

Ministry of Education Conducts Preliminary Assembly for Elementary School Enrollment Candidates for 2021 Academic Year
When Held In-Person, Time Slots and Locations Are Separated to Minimize Crowding
If Child's Whereabouts Are Unknown, School and Police Investigation Requested

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Preliminary registration for children scheduled to enter elementary school next year is set to begin. The Ministry of Education plans to confirm the whereabouts and safety of children while minimizing the spread of infectious diseases through both in-person and non-face-to-face methods.

The Ministry of Education and metropolitan and provincial offices of education announced on the 23rd that they will conduct preliminary registration for children eligible to enter elementary school for the 2021 academic year in cooperation with individual schools, local governments, and the National Police Agency. Through preliminary registration, children eligible for school admission and their parents can receive school life guides and application documents.

For in-person registration, operations will be available not only during weekday daytime hours but also in the evenings. Some regions will also operate on weekends with time slots divided accordingly. Locations such as auditoriums, gymnasiums, multipurpose rooms, and classrooms will be dispersed to minimize crowd density. Additionally, a drive-through (in-car confirmation) method will be utilized.

For non-face-to-face confirmation, online preliminary registration will be conducted via the video chat application "Zoom" or replaced by video calls. Various documents will be provided through email or text messages. Since the methods and schedules for preliminary registration vary by region and school, attention should be paid to the notices from each school.

If participation in preliminary registration is inevitably not possible, inquiries can be made directly to the school where the child will enroll before the registration date to complete separate enrollment procedures. If enrollment is difficult due to illness or other reasons, guardians may apply for a deferment or exemption from school admission.

For children eligible for admission whose whereabouts are not confirmed during this preliminary registration period, schools will proceed with phone calls, home visits, or requests for visits to the school. If the child's whereabouts cannot be confirmed, the school plans to immediately request an investigation from the local police station to locate the child.

Regardless of nationality or residency status, children of elementary school age are entitled to receive education. Admission procedure guidance messages will be sent in the native languages of children who are mid-entry immigrants or refugees. Materials on transferring to domestic schools will be distributed in 13 languages to related agencies frequently visited by parents of multicultural families.

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