Expanding Vaccination Instead of Remote Switching... Vaccinations for 3rd Year High School Students and School Staff Begin on the 19th

Vaccination for 3rd Year High School Students from the 19th... 3rd Year Vaccination Consent Rate 97.8%
Attendance-Recognized Absence on Vaccination Day and Up to 2 Days After
Priority Vaccination for Seoul and Gyeonggi Academy Workers from the 13th
Preemptive PCR Testing Before and After Vacation for School Sports Teams and Physical Education Middle and High Schools

On the 8th, as the spread of COVID-19 intensifies mainly in the metropolitan area, students are attending school at an elementary school in Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] As COVID-19 cases surge ahead of the summer vacation, education authorities have chosen to expand vaccination efforts instead of switching entirely to remote classes. Vaccinations for high school seniors (Grade 12) and school staff will begin on the 19th. Academy workers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are also included in the priority vaccination group.

On the 8th, the Ministry of Education announced 'Strengthened School and Academy Quarantine Measures' ahead of full in-person attendance for the second semester. Starting from the 19th, Grade 12 students attending high schools, special schools, accredited lifelong education facilities, alternative schools, and unlicensed educational institutions, as well as early graduates registered for the 2022 college entrance exam, will receive the Pfizer vaccine. School staff eligible for vaccination include teachers, assistant teachers, industry-academic concurrent instructors, and educational public officials.

Analysis of the vaccination target list compiled on the 2nd showed a 97.8% consent rate among Grade 12 students and 95.7% among high school staff. Vaccinations will be conducted at the school level. By early next week, vaccination centers will be assigned according to each school's preferred schedule, and schools will establish academic operation plans to inform parents and students. Those eligible must bring their resident registration number and photo ID to the designated center.

Students will be marked as excused absences on the vaccination day and for two days afterward. If abnormal symptoms occur three days post-vaccination, absences will be recognized as illness-related. Schools may designate the vaccination day as a discretionary holiday or shorten classes, and during the week of vaccination, the daily attendance rule for Grade 12 students will be waived, allowing remote classes. Schedules will be adjusted to avoid conflicts with final exams, and if fever or other symptoms coincide with exam periods, recognized scores will be granted.

Academy workers in the metropolitan area will receive vaccinations within this month. Following outbreaks linked to native-speaking instructors, local governments are promoting vaccinations for academy staff. Vaccinations will begin first in Seoul and Gyeonggi from the 13th to the 24th, with approximately 210,000 people expected to be vaccinated. The Ministry of Education plans to conduct proactive PCR testing for academy workers nationwide. The Ministry stated, "Many provinces have already confirmed or are positively considering priority vaccination for academy workers."

Quarantine management for school sports teams and middle and high school physical education departments participating in training and competitions during vacation will also be strengthened. Student athletes living in dormitories will undergo two PCR tests before and after vacation. Those participating in nationwide competitions must take a PCR test before returning to school.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has stated it will consider switching to remote classes preemptively if social distancing is raised to Level 3, but the Ministry of Education intends to maintain the current in-person attendance policy. The current school density standard in the metropolitan area, which is at Level 2, is two-thirds capacity. The revised school density standards according to social distancing levels will apply from the second semester: at Level 3 (over 1,000 nationwide cases), elementary students in grades 4-6 may attend up to three-fourths capacity, and middle and high school students up to two-thirds capacity. Level 4 (over 2,000 nationwide cases) mandates full remote classes.

Jeong Jong-cheol, Deputy Minister of Education, said, "We will thoroughly prepare with quarantine authorities and metropolitan and provincial education offices to ensure that vaccinations, which are essential for restoring normal school life and full attendance, proceed without disruption." He added, "Although infections are increasing, we will continue to prepare diligently to implement full in-person attendance smoothly and restore school life for our children."

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