Distancing becomes the new normal in schools in S. Korea
- 4 years ago
하루 두번 열체크, 한방향•시차별배식,...5개월만에 등교한 학생들의 하루는?
As part of South Korea's phased reopening of schools, nearly 1-point-8 million children - high school freshmen, middle school juniors and third- and fourth grade elementary students went back to the classrooms today.
But life at school was far from the pre-COVID-19 normal
No handshakes between friends, eating lunch alone and having fever checks multiple times throughout the day.
Our Lee Kyung-eun went to one of the schools to take a look at the new normal in the classrooms.
"Stay one meter apart."
Walking up the hill to the school takes longer than normal as students are told to keep their distance.
They must keep in one line,... and no high fives, shaking hands, or linking arms are allowed.
There used to be six main gates, but now, there's only one, where teachers sanitize each student's hands,... and a thermal camera automatically checks their temperatures.
"Pass "
An alarm goes off if it detects a temperature above thirty-seven-point-five degrees Celsius, after which teachers follow up with a manual check.
In the classroom, students are assigned individual desks, meaning they have no partner to work with.
And for freshmen, this is where their online entrance ceremony took place on Wednesday.
"Teachers come here as early as 7:50 every morning to open the windows and disinfect the room."
Students and teachers are keeping their face masks on, even during PE class and break time.
Contact with other students is also restricted.
"I can't talk with my friends, and I have to stay one meter apart from them ,...it's really hard to stick to the rules."
Lunch hours have also been staggered, with each grade taking turns to eat.
The cafeteria is disinfected in between grades.
"Instead of using dividers, the school has assigned each student a designated seat. And the seats are all facing the same direction so that students do sit opposite each other."
Throughout the day, students get second, third, and further temperature checks, and they have to clean their hands regularly.
"We take temperature checks at the entrance, before lunch, and in between classes as we check on the students' health. And every time students change places, we make sure they use antibacterial gel."
This far-from-normal school day has become the new normal in schools across South Korea.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.
As part of South Korea's phased reopening of schools, nearly 1-point-8 million children - high school freshmen, middle school juniors and third- and fourth grade elementary students went back to the classrooms today.
But life at school was far from the pre-COVID-19 normal
No handshakes between friends, eating lunch alone and having fever checks multiple times throughout the day.
Our Lee Kyung-eun went to one of the schools to take a look at the new normal in the classrooms.
"Stay one meter apart."
Walking up the hill to the school takes longer than normal as students are told to keep their distance.
They must keep in one line,... and no high fives, shaking hands, or linking arms are allowed.
There used to be six main gates, but now, there's only one, where teachers sanitize each student's hands,... and a thermal camera automatically checks their temperatures.
"Pass "
An alarm goes off if it detects a temperature above thirty-seven-point-five degrees Celsius, after which teachers follow up with a manual check.
In the classroom, students are assigned individual desks, meaning they have no partner to work with.
And for freshmen, this is where their online entrance ceremony took place on Wednesday.
"Teachers come here as early as 7:50 every morning to open the windows and disinfect the room."
Students and teachers are keeping their face masks on, even during PE class and break time.
Contact with other students is also restricted.
"I can't talk with my friends, and I have to stay one meter apart from them ,...it's really hard to stick to the rules."
Lunch hours have also been staggered, with each grade taking turns to eat.
The cafeteria is disinfected in between grades.
"Instead of using dividers, the school has assigned each student a designated seat. And the seats are all facing the same direction so that students do sit opposite each other."
Throughout the day, students get second, third, and further temperature checks, and they have to clean their hands regularly.
"We take temperature checks at the entrance, before lunch, and in between classes as we check on the students' health. And every time students change places, we make sure they use antibacterial gel."
This far-from-normal school day has become the new normal in schools across South Korea.
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News.