S.Korea College Students Back In Classrooms From Next Semester

College students can go back to classrooms starting from the second semester in late August.

The education minister Yoo Eun-hae said on Thursday that universities will resume in-person classes, but step by step depending on the pace of the vaccine rollout.

“At the start, universities won’t have full in-person classes because people in their twenties comprise 15-point-2 percent of the country’s coronavirus cases.”

Small-sized classes, laboratory courses and those requiring hands-on practice will resume in-person classes.

Universities can decide which of those courses will be face-to-face.

Community colleges will resume in-person classes because almost 70 percent of their classes need hands-on practice.

The top priorities are courses related to earning a license or certificate needed for jobs after graduation.

But college festivals and events are banned until the end of September.

Students are also advised to refrain from visiting other facilities like libraries and further disinfection guidelines will be announced in July.

Classrooms should be ventilated and entry of outsiders should be limited.

As the country is aiming to give at least one shot of the vaccine to 36 million people by September, the Education Ministry will decide on what to do next after taking a look at the vaccine rollout.