Full Remote Classes for High Schools Starting One Week Before Suneung... "Reduce External Contact for Test Takers" (Comprehensive)

Ministry of Education to Operate 'Special Quarantine Period' Two Weeks Before CSAT
Health Centers Open Until 10 PM on CSAT Eve for Rapid Testing
Confirmed Cases to Take CSAT at Hospitals or Saengchi Centers
Quarantine Inspections for Entrance Exam Academies and Study Cafes
On-site University Quarantine Inspections Also Conducted Until the 12th

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Ahead of the November 18 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), high schools nationwide will switch to remote classes one week prior to prepare for the exam. Students who test positive will take the exam after being admitted to hospitals or residential treatment centers. Public health centers will operate until 10 PM the day before the CSAT to allow students to get tested for COVID-19.

On the 4th, the Ministry of Education announced that it will implement focused quarantine management to safely conduct the CSAT and university-specific admissions. Intensive quarantine inspections will be carried out at multi-use facilities frequently visited by students and universities preparing for their individual admissions.

Jeong Jong-cheol, Vice Minister of Education, urged, "If students or their families have been in close contact with confirmed cases or show suspected COVID-19 symptoms, they must actively undergo PCR testing. Students who need to get tested on the 17th, the day before the CSAT, should definitely visit a public health center and inform them that they are CSAT applicants."

To protect students and supervisors, all high schools will switch to remote classes starting from the 11th, one week before the exam. On the 17th, the day before the CSAT, public health centers will conduct rapid PCR tests for CSAT applicants and extend testing hours until 10 PM. Students who test positive or receive self-quarantine orders must immediately notify the local education office to receive necessary support for taking the exam.

Vice Minister Jeong explained, "To minimize the possibility of group infections among students, we are switching to remote classes from the 11th. While the principle is to switch to remote classes from the 11th, local governments may decide to switch earlier if necessary."

With the overall number of confirmed cases increasing compared to last year and the phased return to normal life (With Corona) starting this month, the risk of infection has risen. As of the end of October, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among 12th graders over two weeks reached 75.

Jo Hoon-hee, Director of University Admission Policy at the Ministry of Education, said, "We have basically established sufficient testing infrastructure for confirmed and quarantined students, and the current situation is manageable. However, since there is a risk of sporadic increases in infections, we will cooperate with related ministries to secure hospital beds and prepare exam sites as needed after assessing capacity."

The Ministry of Education has secured a total of 1,393 testing sites for the CSAT, including ▲1,251 general exam sites ▲112 separate exam sites (620 rooms) ▲30 hospitals and residential treatment centers with 244 beds. The Ministry of Education and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency have been monitoring daily the occurrence of confirmed and quarantined students starting three weeks before the CSAT. Additional hospital and residential treatment center exam sites will be secured in regions with increasing confirmed cases.

On the day of the CSAT, confirmed cases will take the exam at hospitals or residential treatment centers, quarantined students at separate exam sites, and symptomatic students in separate exam rooms. Students confirmed positive will be admitted to hospitals or residential treatment centers starting two weeks before the CSAT to take the exam. The Ministry of Education explained that due to the proximity of the exam, confirmed students will be admitted to hospitals instead of receiving home treatment.

Director Jo explained, "Students will be pre-assigned to hospitals or residential treatment centers to ensure they can take the exam in a fair environment, not under home treatment. We have requested the Ministry of Health and Welfare to arrange this. Quarantined students must travel to exam sites by private vehicle, and if necessary, local government field management teams can assist with transportation."

Additionally, the Ministry of Education has designated the period from the 4th to the 17th as a special CSAT quarantine period. During this time, quarantine inspections will be conducted targeting metropolitan and provincial education offices and 320 nationwide private academies. In cooperation with city, county, and district offices, quarantine conditions will also be inspected at PC rooms, karaoke rooms, and study cafes. By the 12th, on-site quarantine inspections at universities will verify quarantine plans and preparation status.

The Ministry of Education emphasized the importance of students and their families adhering to quarantine rules and participating in COVID-19 testing to prevent infection.

Vice Minister Jeong urged, "Students should comply with quarantine rules such as wearing masks and washing hands during the remaining period, avoid gatherings with friends and using enclosed multi-use facilities, and minimize contact with the outside as much as possible. Families should also minimize external contacts such as dinners, gatherings, and success prayer events to help students prepare with peace of mind."

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