There have been many changes in the education schedule due to COVID-19 this year. Originally, students had to go to school in March, but it was only on May 20th that they were able to go to school, starting with third-year high school students. The National College Entrance Examination was originally scheduled to be held on November 19th, but was postponed to December 3rd.

Style of Online Class Problem

A new public school semester started on April 6th. However, due to the poor study progress of teachers who are not accustomed to the cyber environment, classes were not smooth. According to the Ministry of Education, 40.9% of elementary, middle, and high school teachers chose online classes mainly teaching content using EBS (Educational Broadcasting System), and 10.6% of teachers only had task based performance classes. The real time student-teacher interaction classes was only at 5.2%. Some classes ended in 20~30 minutes each day, so students and parents became increasingly disappointed.

Parental Response to Online Class

According to a ‘News 1’ article, a parent with two sons as elementary school students said, "Online classes are being conducted so poorly that teachers sometimes don't check attendance, and children sometimes watch YouTube and play games during class time. This time is when children need to learn more about basic learning skills, so I'm worried." As a result, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has decided to allow first-year elementary school students to go to school every day and first-year middle school students are allowed to choose online or in class teaching from October 19th, reflecting the concerns of parents.

Emotional and Psychological Problems of Students and Teachers

It was also revealed that students and teachers experienced more stress, more emotional and psychological difficulties after the COVID-19 crisis. Daegu Metropolitan Office of Education announced the results of the 'School Disaster Mental Health Assessment after COVID-19' on August 6th. This assessment covered 8,177 middle and high school students and 2,322 teachers from May 29th to June 21st. It has become clear that many students feel depressed and anxious by COVID-19. They fear and wonder when the virus will reach its peak, and they feel more helpless than before. COVID-19 also had a negative impact on teachers' job and living satisfaction.

Overseas Educational Situation

In France they use, "My House Classroom (Ma classe à la maison)" – A digital video lecture service provided by the National Distance Education Center. In the United Kingdom, the UK Ministry of Education works with the BBC to provide educational materials and to publicly provide digital educational materials to preschoolers. The largest daily newspaper in Northern Europe, Helsingin Sanomat, said in an editorial, "Online class at school is amazing," but added, "If the exceptional situation continues, it will be a miracle if teachers don't get tired. Many people are already nervous about the situation and express their anger to the teachers." There also were many changes in the exam schedule in these countries. France replaced its Baccalaureate with a high school records assessment, and the UK cancelled its A-level(Advanced Level General Certificate of Education) schedule with GCSE(General Certificate of Secondary Education).

The Situation Related to the National College Entrance Examination in Korea

The Korean Ministry of Education is in a position to carry out the National College Entrance Examination as scheduled on December 3rd, even in stage three of social distancing. At present, the Ministry of Education has provided detailed plans for the exam, such as an increase in the number of supervisors and quarantine personnel by 30,410 from the previous year, and the conversion of online classes at all high schools before the examination. However, according to the "Future Education Awareness Poll" released by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education on September 10th, 7 out of 10 residents agreed to delay the National College Entrance Examination again because of the COVID-19 situation. They agreed that it is difficult for students to concentrate on their studies because of the unexpected COVID-19 variables.

Different situations occurred as a result of COVID-19, such as online classes and the National College Entrance Examination in December, which have caused many problems. Students are worried about the exam in this uncertain time, but the government and citizens have different ideas about a solution. Effective policies must be put in place as soon as possible, so that everyone can have a fair exam and feel safe.

Yoon Sun-young  sunflower0180@naver.com

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