IN-PERSON CLASSES EXPAND NATIONWIDE

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In-person classes have been expanded all across Korea in line with Level 1 social distancing measures. Schools and kindergartens across the nation are now allowed to have more students attend in-person classes. With this, a growing number of schools are having their younger students come to school on a daily basis.

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Starting Monday, more students in Korea began in-person classes instead of remote learning. After a one-week preparation period, schools can now have two-thirds of their students take in-person classes in line with Level 1 social distancing measures. Elementary first-graders in Seoul can attend school on a daily basis from now on. Young students in particular experience difficulties in receiving online classes. Moreover, working parents have a hard time taking care of them during remote learning.

[Soundbite] HWANG JUNG-HYUN(PARENT) : "Children have poor concentration and low interest in classes when learning remotely. I hope things will get better once they start receiving in-person classes."

[Soundbite] PARK JUN-HEE(FIRST-GRADER) : "(What do you want to do at school the most?) I want to go on a picnic."

However, schools with more than a thousand students as well as overcrowded schools where the number of students surpasses 30 per class are an exception. First-graders at this school in southern Seoul, where the number of per-class students is nearly 40, are allowed to receive in-person classes only twice a week. The decision is based on the opinions of the students' parents. This elementary school in Busan with more than 1500 students is also providing on-site classes to only half of its pupils. This is due to concerns about community spread stemming from a recent outbreak at a local nursing home.

[Soundbite] SHIN JIN-YONG(MINISTRY OF EDUCATION) : "The rule is to keep the number of students at less than two-thirds. But schools can decide at their discretion if it's okay to have all their students take on-site classes as long as precautions are followed."

In Daegu, schools with fewer than 28 students per class can provide in-person classes on a daily basis. Those where the number of students exceeds 28 per class but that follow precautions strictly can also have on-site classes daily. In Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, schools with no more than 22 classes are permitted to have all their students come to school every day. In Busan and Jeollabuk-do Province, schools with around 300 students can provide in-person classes for all grades on a daily basis. In Daejeon, Sejong and Gangwon, schools that are not deemed overcrowded are allowed to have on-site classes daily... as long as they ensure different class and meal times. Education authorities have also stepped up measures to prevent students from visiting high-risk facilities such as PC cafes and singing rooms after school.