Reorganization of social distancing system
Ministry of Education reviewed easing standards for school density
On the afternoon of the afternoon of the 28th, two days before the start of school for the new semester, a child who is going to enter elementary school is choosing school supplies with his mother and younger brother at Adam Candy Nara Stationery Store, a toy market in Changsin-dongmun-gu, Jongno-gu, Seoul. yunhap news
From the 2nd, the new semester of’Corona 19 2nd year’ begins. This is the third school since the spread of Corona 19 in Korea. In addition to the principle of’every day for high school 3rd graders’ last year, kindergarten students and 1st and 2nd graders of elementary school will go to school every day. The education authorities also announced that they would expand classes to school during this semester. In an interview on the 1st, Yu Eun-hye, Vice Prime Minister of Social Studies and Minister of Education, said, “In addition to kindergartens and the first and second grades of elementary school, the expansion of other grades will be achieved within at least one semester. Deputy Prime Minister Yoo mentioned “gradual expansion” when announcing a plan to support academic management in January, but this is the first time he has revealed until the time. The education authorities are also considering a plan to increase the number of attendees by easing the standards of school density altogether in line with the reorganization of the social distancing system in the future. Deputy Prime Minister Yoo said, “If the distance level is adjusted, we are discussing a way to increase the density of school attendance.” However, in order to expand school to other grades, it is premised that “there must be thoroughly prepared so that a crisis situation does not come like the 4th epidemic, and the effectiveness of vaccination must be verified.” Unlike in the first semester of last year, when school opened for the first time in April after several delays, there is no need to postpone academic schedules this year, as distance classes are available at all schools. In addition, concerns over’corona education deficits’ have increased, and the educational authorities have prepared various devices from this semester to increase the number of students attending school compared to last year.
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First, Kindergarten and elementary 1st and 2nd graders were excluded from the application of the school density standard until the second stage of distancing, so that school attendance for the rest of the grades increased. In the current metropolitan area level 2 and non-metropolitan area level 1.5, the maximum density of schools is allowed up to two-thirds of all students. Excluding the excluded grades, the standard for all students, which is a parameter, decreases. The number of small schools where all students can go to school on a daily basis also increased by 938 from 4629 last year to 5567 this year. This is because the education authorities have expanded the standard for small schools from’around 300 students’ to’schools with more than 300 and less than 400 students and less than 25 students per class’. Small schools can autonomously decide whether to attend school up to step 2.5, along with special schools (level) and farming and fishing village schools. The variable is the situation of the spread of Corona 19. The current distance distancing step is applied until the 14th. If distance distancing rises to 2.5 levels due to a surge in the number of new confirmed patients, the school density should comply with one-third, and kindergarten students, 1st to 2nd graders, 3rd high school students The daily attendance of school also becomes impossible. In addition, there is a strong voice that other grades, such as elementary and middle school students, should expand school. Previously, according to a survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, 73.7% of parents of elementary and junior high schools agreed to ease the school density standard so that two-thirds of all students can attend school unless the current distance is raised to three stages. By Lee Yoo-jin, staff reporter [email protected]