Yoo Eun-hye: "Flexible Academic Operations Adjusted for Regional Differences in Case Numbers, Please Understand Despite Inconvenience"

Emergency Inspection and Support Team for Omicron Response Holds Ministry of Education Task Force Meeting
Urges Use of Hotline Network Connecting Schools, Education Offices, and Ministry of Education

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye urged on the 28th, ahead of the new semester, "We proposed a school-level response system and flexible academic operations in anticipation of significant differences in the scale of confirmed cases between schools and regions. We ask for understanding even if schools experience some inconvenience."

On the same day, the Ministry of Education held the '3rd New Semester Omicron Response Emergency Inspection and Support Team Ministry of Education Countermeasure Meeting' to review preparations for the new semester opening.

During the meeting, the distribution status of rapid antigen test kits by city and school, the installation status of mobile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing sites, preparation status of self-diagnosis apps, plans for the formation and operation of regional emergency response teams, and cases of business continuity plan (BCP) establishment by school level were reviewed.

Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, "Throughout February, the Ministry of Education, education offices, and all schools nationwide have been dedicated to preparing for the transition to a school quarantine system responding to Omicron. Schools have maintained safety better than any other large-scale facility over the past two years," adding, "If any shortcomings arise in response to new situations, the Ministry of Education will strive to resolve them promptly."

She continued, "During the process of responding to Omicron, please maintain vigilance and actively utilize the hotline connection information network among schools, education offices, and the Ministry of Education," and urged, "Schools should promptly share situations with the education office’s emergency response teams, and education offices should operate mobile rapid PCR testing sites and mobile specimen collection teams to be ready to swiftly support schools where cluster infections occur."

The meeting also discussed measures to address difficulties arising at schools during the new semester preparation process. On the first day of school attendance, March 2, officials from the Ministry of Education’s departments and divisions will visit 54 education support offices directly to assess the situation and provide support measures.

From March, kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school students attending school must conduct proactive testing twice a week at home before attending school using rapid antigen kits distributed by schools, and enter the test results into the self-diagnosis app. If confirmed cases occur among students or staff at school, the school will conduct its own investigation to identify contacts. The education office will deploy rapid PCR testing sites and specimen collection teams to support testing at schools where cluster infections occur.

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