By Kim Bo-eun
Students are taking classes in the sweltering heat, as more than 2,000 elementary, middle and high schools across the nation have started the fall semester from Tuesday.
While a number of schools have decided to extend the summer break, others which opted to stick to their academic schedules are suffering from the hot weather.
High schools account for most of these, as they have the shortest summer breaks because students, especially seniors, need to prepare for the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) due in November as well as to prepare for other non-regular college admission programs.
Some elementary and middle schools have also started the fall semester in mid-August, because they need to adhere to the yearly number of school days set by the Ministry of Education.
However, the schools are limited in their use of air-conditioning due to costly electricity fees for educational use ― 129.7 won per kilowatt-hour. With such a rate, electricity bills for schools in the summer can add up to around 7 million won a month, which poses a huge financial burden on the schools.
Following the situation, regional education offices have notified schools to review shortening school hours.
This has prompted 38 schools nationwide to shorten school hours. Middle and high schools have shortened each class by five to 10 minutes, enabling students to go home around an hour or so earlier than usual. Some middle schools let the students go after morning classes.
Eleven schools in Daejeon, and Gyeonggi and North and South Chungcheong provinces deferred the start of the fall semester.
The education offices also advised schools to refrain from outdoor activities and to give utmost caution to hygiene control at school cafeterias.
Meanwhile, daytime-highs soared above 30 degrees in major cities nationwide, Wednesday, with Seoul and Daejeon reaching 35 degrees Celsius.