교육부, 원활한 등교수업위해 새로운 가이드라인 마련해
South Korea's 5-point-5 million students are set to return to face-to-face classrooms in a staggered fashion... starting with high school seniors next Wednesday.
Parents had been divided over the decision unsure whether they feel comfortable about sending their kids to school amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the education ministry unveiled new guidelines which include giving students and parents the choice to study from home until the country's disease alert level is taken down a notch.
Our Choi Won-jong reports.
With the education ministry's new guidelines, students and parents have much more flexbility in choosing whether they return to school right away.
The ministry announced Thursday... that students are free to study at home, if their parents want them to, until the COVID-19 situation stabilizes.
If so, they'll be counted in attendance as present.
The same goes for students with underlying health conditions, if they get the principal's approval.
When students do head back to school, they have to fill out and submit a questionnaire seven days in advance.
The form asks their body temperature, whether they have symptoms, and their recent travel history.
The education minister said classrooms will be kept at a low temperature to prevent any possibly infected student from spreading the virus.
"Experts say higher temperatures will cause students to touch their masks more, which exposes them to infection. So, the Ministry of Education has advised turning on the air conditioning with the windows open at least one third of the way."
The ministry will set up a task force ahead of opening day to be ready to support students and teachers when they start coming back next Wednesday and beyond.
Choi Won-jong, Arirang News.
