SEOUL: South Korean children will start the new school year on April 9 with only online classes, after repeated delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Chung Sye Kyun said despite the nation’s utmost efforts to contain the virus and lower the risk of infection, there is consensus among teachers and others that it is too early to let children go back to school.
The Education Ministry said the state college entrance exam set for Nov 19 will also be delayed by two weeks, following the rescheduling of the new school year.
The Korea Times said kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools were originally set to open on March 2, but due to the possibility of cluster infections in classrooms, the ministry postponed the start of the spring semester on three separate occasions before opting for April 6.
It has now been delayed by three more days to allow preparations to be made for online classes.
The ministry decided it had no choice but to start the spring semester given the need to meet the basic legal requirements of the academic year.
“The government has overseen the disinfection of schools but we judged it was not the proper time for children to go back to school,” said Chung.
The Education Ministry said the spring semester would begin with online classes and conducted step by step, considering the preparations and time required for students to adapt.
On April 9, seniors in middle and high schools will begin classes first, followed by freshmen, sophomores and fourth to six graders in elementary schools on April 16.
First to third graders in primary schools will start their classes on April 20.
The prime minister also called for thorough preparations, saying it should be ensured that all students have access to computers and connections to the Internet.
Education Minister Yoo Eun Hae said the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) set for Nov 19, was now scheduled for Dec 3.
“It was an inevitable decision to alleviate the difficulties in education due to the unprecedented postponement of the new school year and the ensuing changes to the academic calendar.”
“With the delay of the CSAT schedule, students are expected to have enough preparation time,” he said in a press briefing.