Gov't urges students to skip cram schools
Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae, center, speaks during an emergency meeting on strengthened quarantine and health safety measures in schools and private education institutions with Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, left, and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, at the government complex in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
The government is calling on parents not to send their children to cram schools and other facilities frequented by students, amid a recent spread of COVID-19 infections connected to a teacher who tested positive for the virus after going to clubs in Itaewon.
The move came Thursday as the Ministry of Education has been pressured to come up with measures to create a safe learning environment amid a recent surge in infections among young people.
Parents were especially concerned when a teenage student and his mother in Incheon were confirmed to have contracted the virus, after one of the student's teachers, who had attended clubs in Itaewon, tested positive for COVID-19.
Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon had an emergency meeting Thursday morning to come up with strengthened disease control measures in schools and private education institutions as well as other facilities used by young students.
“Throug this case, we have realized the COVID-19 pandemic has not ended yet, and we're in still in danger of outbreaks. Thus, we strongly urge students and parents not to use multi-use facilities including cram schools in order to reopen schools physically as soon as possible,” Yoo said during the meeting at the government complex in Seoul.
In addition, Yoo strongly recommended private institutions provide lectures online if necessary, and at the same time, strictly follow preventive measures against COVID-19 such as disinfection work at their facilities.
The ministry has been facing a dilemma over whether or not to proceed with the reopening of schools scheduled to begin May 20 amid the growing risk of classroom outbreaks. This has raised concerns among parents and students who have been preparing for the gradual reopening of schools.
According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), 29 new cases were detected, Wednesday, which brought the nation's total infections to 10,991. Among the new cases reported on Wednesday, 26 were linked to the nightclubs, bringing the total number of related cases to 133.
The ministry had initially planned to proceed with phased reopening plans starting Wednesday, in line with its relaxed social distancing measures that went into effect on May 6. But it delayed the plan earlier this week following the unexpected surge of coronavirus cases in Itaewon.
Vice Education Minister Park Baeg-beom said during a radio interview Wednesday that the school reopening schedule could change again after thorough consultation with health authorities. High school seniors who have to take the university entrance exam this winter will return to school as scheduled.
Meanwhile, the Seoul mayor and SMOE superintendent said they will check thoroughly whether the nearly 25,000 private institutions in Seoul are following social distancing measures. Cho also said the SMOE will conduct special inspections by June 19 to check if English kindergartens and SAT schools are complying with the disease control rules so that they do not become new virus hotbeds.