Students return to in-class instruction on Monday at Salesian Middle School in Gwangju amid eased restrictions on attendance caps and social distancing
Measures to expand in-person classes at grade schools across the country took effect on Monday in response to growing concerns over a widening learning gap among students.
The Ministry of Education raised the attendance cap to two-thirds for all schools on October 11, in line with the government's decision to ease social distancing guidelines.
Schools in the greater Seoul area, where half of the country's population of 51 million live, are required to strictly follow the new mandate.
Those elsewhere will have more leeway to adjust attendance caps depending on the seriousness of the coronavirus situation in their region.
For example, first graders are expected to show up at their elementary schools almost every day so they can get accustomed to school life, which has been largely absent since the start of the pandemic in the spring.
To reduce classroom crowding and serve more students at the same time, schools are expected to implement various safety measures, including staggered classes and implementing morning and afternoon sessions.
The ministry's move to loosen antivirus restrictions for schools also reflects efforts to narrow the achievement gap among young students due to differences both in each child's self-directed learning capabilities and home learning environments.
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