ED Full reopening of schools

Premature normalization could invite danger

The government is reiterating its plans to allow all students from kindergarten through high school to return to school for in-person classes for the second semester. Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on Facebook, Saturday, that the administration will normalize such classes fully in the fall semester. “I am concerned about the learning gap among students, and their inability to make social and emotional connections owing to the prolonged pandemic,” Kim said.

Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae also expressed hope that normal classes will resume fully in the fall. In an interview with local media last week, she said, “We are consulting with the quarantine authorities to finish vaccinations for teachers before the summer break ends.”

The government's eagerness to get students back to school is understandable, given that some children, particularly those in the low-income bracket, have been left behind in their learning due to increased contactless classes since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online classes are also being blamed for passing the responsibility of teaching children to parents. So it's evident that the full resumption of in-person classes must be pushed for at all costs with the future of our children and the normalization of our society as goals of primary importance.

The problem is that reopening schools fully without thorough quarantine measures might risk making schools the epicenter of fresh infection clusters. It is of great concern that vaccination programs are not yet ready for students due to the limited supply of vaccines available, although school teachers and staff are being vaccinated.

It's clear that reopening schools fully without inoculating students can invite danger, considering the possible spread of the virus to households and communities. Before deciding on the normalization of in-person classes, education officials should look at our overall quarantine situation, especially the progress of vaccinations for students, in close consultation with the health authorities. The government needs to boost the country's vaccination rate before fully reopening schools.