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| On March 2nd, at an elementary school in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, freshmen are listening to the information. 2021.3.2/News1 © News1 Reporter Cho Tae-hyung |
As the number of confirmed coronavirus infections (Corona 19) spills to around 500 each day, there are concerns that the reduction in attendance classes has become visible in the education world.
In particular, in the metropolitan area, where the number of students attending school is limited to one-third of all students in elementary, middle, and high schools when the social distancing is upgraded to the 2.5 level, the’daily attendance’ of kindergarten, elementary school 1-2 is suspended, and high school is a third grader. There is a wide range of changes, such as having to go to school, and confusion in the school field is expected.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) on the 5th (Bangdaebon), there were 474 daily confirmed cases in Korea the previous day (4th). From the 30th of last month (506) to the 3rd of last month (543), the number of tests decreased compared to the record of 500 people for 5 days in a row, but considering the’weekend effect’, which decreased the number of tests, it is difficult to say that the spreading trend has declined.
The number of confirmed local outbreaks occurred on an average of 496.1 per day in the last week from the 29th of last month. On the 26th day, the standard of 2.5 steps (average of 400 to 500 people per day for a week) has been on the rise, so the government is also struggling with a plan to upgrade the distance to be applied from the 12th.
Sohn Young-rae, head of the social strategy team at the Central Accident Recovery Headquarters (heavy water version), said at the regular briefing on Corona 19 the previous day, “It is judged that the spread trend is turning to an increasing trend as we enter the standard of 2.5 steps for distance distancing.” “We will decide and announce how we will adjust the positioning steps.”
Prime Minister Jeong Sye-gyun also presided over a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters on the same day and suggested a possibility of raising the distance, saying, “If the spread does not stop this week, we may need to review more intensive quarantine measures.”
At the school site, there is a growing concern over the reduction of classes to school due to the increase in distance.
A Elementary School in Nowon-gu, Seoul, has introduced a’different school attendance’ in different grades since the beginning of school, and has announced that it is inevitable to conduct remote classes if distance increases.
The principal of A Elementary School said, “Even though it is not a small school, it reflects the opinions of teachers and parents that it is necessary to expand school, and the school is fully enrolled through flexible academic management. It is necessary to discuss separate guidelines, such as excluding about 2 from the density standard,” he said.
Teacher B, who works at a middle school in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, said, “The recent spread is so severe that children even say,’Isn’t this, the number of days going to school is decreasing?’ If this decreases, the disruption in educational activities will be great.”
According to the Ministry of Education,’small schools’ with less than 400 students in total and less than 25 students per class on average can attend school up to step 2.5. However, if it is actually upgraded to stage 2.5, it is expected that more schools will withdraw from school in consideration of the risk of infectious diseases.
An official from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said, “Of the 131 small schools (elementary schools) in the city, more than 70 are fully enrolled in school, and if the distance increases, more places will attend school and remote classes at the same time.” “Change is inevitable,” he said.
The Ministry of Education stated that it is not reviewing separate measures to prepare for the increase in distance. It is expected that school classes will be operated according to the previously guided standard of school density for each step of distance.
An official from the Ministry of Education said, “If the distance is raised, each school will apply the changed academic management guidelines after a certain period of preparation.”