After the start of the second semester, even at Level 4, kindergarten, grades 1-2 in elementary, and grade 3 in high school attend school daily

Gradual Expansion of School Attendance Scope Divided into Immediately After School Starts~September 3 and After September 6
Immediately After School Starts, Attendance Allowed for Grades 1-2 Elementary, 1/3 of Middle School Students, and 1/2 of Grades 1-2 High School Students
Stage 3 Allows Up to 3/4 Attendance for Grades 3-6 Elementary, 2/3 for Middle School, and Full Attendance for High School
Full Attendance from September 6 in Stage 3, Stage 4 Allows 1/2 to 2/3 Attendance
Up to 57 Days of Home Study Allowed... Constant Ventilation During Meal Times in Cafeteria

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] When the second semester begins, kindergarteners, 1st and 2nd graders in elementary school, and 12th graders will attend school every day even under social distancing Level 4. Middle school students will attend up to one-third, and high school students up to half. Starting from September 6, the 'stepwise expansion of school attendance' will be implemented, further easing attendance criteria by social distancing levels.

On the 9th, the Ministry of Education announced the academic operation plan for the second semester of 2021. The core is to promote a phased expansion of school attendance so that in-person classes are possible even at Levels 3 and 4.

The Ministry of Education has significantly revised the previous standard of full remote classes at Level 4, allowing partial attendance of one-third to one-half even at Level 4. Although confirmed cases are increasing globally, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France maintain full attendance policies, and Japan and Germany have also decided to encourage in-person classes.

This measure considers concerns about students' learning loss, emotional deprivation, and social skill decline due to more than three semesters of remote classes since last year. According to the Ministry of Education, infectious disease experts also stated that the infection rate within schools is lower than in homes and communities, making schools relatively safe, and that expanding attendance is necessary for growth, especially for lower elementary grades. The Ministry is promoting expanded attendance based on survey results showing that teacher organizations and parents largely support this expansion.

Stepwise Expansion of Attendance... Daily Attendance for 1st and 2nd Graders Even at Level 4 Right After School Starts

The attendance criteria are divided into the period immediately after school starts until September 3, and from September 6 onward. Right after school starts, in Level 4 areas, only 1st and 2nd graders in elementary school attend school, middle school students up to one-third, and 10th and 11th graders up to half. 12th graders are excluded from the school density calculation because they are vaccinated.

Even at Level 4, in-person classes will be conducted focusing on grades with high demand for attendance. Kindergarteners and 1st and 2nd graders are excluded from school density calculations, so they attend school daily even at Level 4. Middle schools can autonomously select one grade to conduct in-person classes. High schools can have two grades attending, including 11th graders and 12th graders, who are excluded from density calculations.

In Level 3 areas, 3rd to 6th graders in elementary school can attend up to three-quarters, middle school students up to two-thirds, and high school students can attend from half to full attendance based on 10th and 11th graders. Kindergarteners, 1st and 2nd graders, and special schools (classes) are excluded from school density criteria and can attend fully. Small schools or rural schools can have full attendance from right after school starts until September 3 in Levels 1 to 3.

The Ministry of Education explained, "Considering the current situation and the need to expand attendance comprehensively, we will maintain the policy of expanding attendance including full attendance, and after the vacation, considering the progress of quarantine measures and the timing of herd immunity formation through vaccination, we will promote phased expansion of attendance after the start of the second semester."

From September 6, Up to Two-Thirds Attendance Even at Level 4... Full Attendance for 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@

From September 6, full attendance is possible at Level 3. At Level 4, attendance by school level will be allowed from half to two-thirds. 3rd to 6th graders in elementary school can attend up to half, middle school students up to two-thirds, and high school students can attend half or full attendance. After three weeks of intensive quarantine following school start, the attendance range will be further expanded, including students with high demand for in-person classes.

The Ministry of Education will guarantee autonomy to metropolitan and provincial education offices and schools to voluntarily expand attendance from the second semester. This considers different school start schedules and regional conditions. The school density criteria will continue to apply through the second semester.

An official from the Ministry of Education explained, "Reducing or expanding attendance can be flexibly responded to by listening to the opinions of school members. We judged that experience and response capabilities have increased in regions and individual schools while responding to infectious disease situations, and we recommended sharing attendance situations with education offices and the Ministry of Education."

Up to 57 Days of Home Study Allowed... At Level 4, One Seat Apart in Cafeterias

The number of home study days will also be expanded to a maximum of 57 days this year. Although there are differences by region, currently about 40 days are granted. The Ministry of Education plans to recommend metropolitan and provincial education offices to expand home study to about 57 days, which is 30% of the total school days. If a student applies for home study and submits a report on learning progress according to the plan, it will be recognized as attendance.

An official from the Ministry of Education said, "Before COVID-19, it was about 10 days, but reflecting parents' requests, we expanded home study days to a maximum of 57 days. This recommendation considers the overall infectious disease situation, and other detailed operations may vary according to regional education office guidelines and school regulations."

The Ministry of Education also revised cafeteria operation standards along with changes in school density criteria by social distancing levels. At Level 4, even schools with table partitions must seat students one seat apart. At Level 3, partitions are mandatory, and students can sit in all seats.

During meal times, cafeteria windows must always be open, and ventilation should be done frequently before and after meals. For the first two weeks after school starts, menus will be adjusted to simple meals. Afterwards, at Levels 3 and 4, phased meal service will be implemented by switching from simple meals to regular meals to minimize contact during cooking and serving. For example, it is possible to transition from substitute meals mainly consisting of bread or rice cakes to simple meals centered on single dishes, and then to regular meals.

12th Graders’ Vaccination Completed by the 20th... Staff Vaccination in Final Stage

A high school senior taking the college entrance exam is receiving a vaccine at the vaccination center set up at Dongjak-gu Community Sports Center in Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

The Ministry of Education is also promoting quarantine measures in preparation for full attendance in the second semester. Currently, vaccinations are underway for 12th graders and kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school staff. As of the 8th, 95% of kindergarten and 1st and 2nd grade staff have completed their second dose. Staff for 3rd to 6th grades will complete vaccination by September 11. Vaccinations for 12th graders and high school staff will be completed with the second dose by the 20th of this month.

Operation of mobile PCR testing teams to proactively detect asymptomatic or variant virus infections will continue. To reduce teachers' workload, 50,000 quarantine personnel are supported in the first phase, and an additional demand survey is underway to support a total of 60,000 personnel to strengthen management of vulnerable facilities within schools such as cafeterias and health rooms.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye said, "It is a very difficult time, but adults must return to our children the things they can fully enjoy only by going to school. I earnestly ask the public to actively cooperate in complying with quarantine rules, and the Ministry of Education will closely monitor the infection situation and respond swiftly under a close cooperation system with related agencies in case of a crisis."

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