Meeting with Teacher Organizations, Yoo Eun-hye Says "We Will Prepare Support Measures for Learning and Social Skill Deficits"

Yoo Eun-hye "Vaccination of Faculty and High School Seniors to be Completed by August"

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye met with teacher organizations and announced plans to promote full in-person attendance for the second semester, while preparing support measures to address tailored guidance and to compensate for psychological, emotional, and social deficits caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

On this day, Deputy Prime Minister Yoo met with representatives of six teacher organizations at the Seoul Government Complex annex and stated, "According to the academic achievement assessment results from last November, it has been identified that prolonged COVID-19 has caused psychological, emotional, and social deficits, along with various side effects. We are considering tailored support for students who need supplementary subject learning or individual guidance, and we intend to prepare support measures with special attention to emotional and social issues."

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo emphasized that not only in our country but also 88% of OECD member countries were unable to attend school for more than three months last year, and that expanding in-person classes is crucial to overcoming various side effects.

Yoo said, "We are preparing to expand priority in-person attendance for metropolitan area middle schools and vocational high schools starting next week," adding, "By August, all school staff and third-year high school students will complete early vaccination, switching to vaccines with shorter dosing intervals, and we are proceeding with inspections in cooperation with quarantine authorities."

Yoo explained, "In coordination with the social distancing restructuring plan, we are discussing with quarantine authorities about possible expansion of in-person attendance, including step-by-step guidelines such as school density principles, and whether to change or revise the measures applied so far."

Yoo added, "We ask for opinions on support measures for children showing deficits in learning, emotional, and social areas, and on ways to provide stronger protection for children facing social and economic difficulties. We will thoroughly prepare institutional improvements and budgetary support measures before full student attendance in the second semester."

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Korean Federation of Teachers' Unions, New School Network, Practical Education Teachers' Association, National Teachers' Union, Good Teachers Movement, and the Korea Federation of Teacher Organizations.

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