Support for Medical Expenses for Severe Adverse Vaccine Reactions in Adolescents... Promoting Normal School Attendance for the New Semester

Ministry of Education Announces 2022 Work Plan
Medical Expense Support Measures for Adolescents with Severe Adverse Reactions to be Prepared This Month
All Schools to Resume Normal Attendance and Allow School Trips in New Semester
Universities to Support Normalization of In-Person Classes from March
If Infectious Disease Worsens, Adjust School Density and Switch Theoretical/Large Lectures to Online

Euneh Yu, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, is announcing the phased plan for the restoration of daily life (With Corona) in the education sector on the 29th at the briefing room of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Honam Moon munonam@

The Ministry of Education will provide medical expense support to adolescents who experience adverse reactions after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. From the new semester, all schools will promote normal attendance, and overnight programs such as school trips will also be permitted. Universities will be supported to normalize face-to-face classes starting in March.

On the 5th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye announced the "2022 Work Plan" at the Government Complex Sejong, stating, "We will prioritize students' health and safety and strive to restore a new and better school daily life." A plan to support medical expenses (actual costs) for children and adolescents under 18 who experience severe adverse reactions after vaccination will be prepared within this month. A Ministry of Education official said, "This is a separate support measure considering the health and learning rights of adolescents, apart from the compensation system of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency." Third-dose vaccinations will be encouraged for faculty, staff, and university students.

From the first semester, all schools will implement normal attendance regardless of region or school level. An academic operation plan considering the infectious disease situation will be established by February. While adhering to quarantine guidelines, school-level activities and overnight programs will be allowed, after-school programs will operate normally, and elementary school care hours will be extended until 7 p.m. Focused investment will be made to resolve overcrowded classes with more than 28 students per class by 2024, and 979 classes will be added in 979 schools by the first semester of this year.

Universities will also be supported to normalize face-to-face classes from the first semester, and spaces for student autonomy activities such as club rooms and student council rooms will be opened. If confirmed cases surge, school density will be adjusted, and universities will switch theory, liberal arts, and large lectures to non-face-to-face formats.

The introduction of an education system transitioning to future education will also be initiated. As the Green Smart Future School project, which renovates and expands schools older than 40 years, is in full swing, 484 schools will begin construction this year. The high school credit system, fully implemented in 2025, will be introduced to specialized high schools this year, and 84% (1,410 schools) of general high schools will operate as research and leading schools. The 2022 revised curriculum general and specific guidelines will be finalized in the second half of this year. Early childhood education fees will increase for the third consecutive year to 280,000 KRW this year, and education benefits for low-income families will increase by an average of 21%. National scholarships for income brackets 5 to 8 and support for basic, near-poverty, and multi-child households will be strengthened to provide half-price tuition for low-income families.

A mid-term teacher supply plan (2023?2027) based on a new teacher supply model for teacher training will be established in the first half of the year. The "Education Practicum Semester System," which extends student teaching periods to semester units, will be piloted from the second half of the year. Improvements will be made to the system by flexibilizing graduate school quotas in advanced fields and changing the adjustment criteria for bachelor's and master's quotas to a 1:1 ratio. To foster local talent, 30 "High Vocational Education Hub Districts" will be designated to provide regionally tailored vocational education through cooperation between junior colleges and basic local governments. To prevent research misconduct, the basis for research ethics surveys will be clarified by law through the enforcement decree of the Academic Promotion Act, and research ethics guidelines will be revised to reflect direct investigation functions for research misconduct. Functions among the National Education Commission, Ministry of Education, and education offices will be redefined in line with the launch of the National Education Commission in July.

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