Schools to introduce 5-day week from next year

A five-day school week system will start at public schools from next year, said the Education, Science and Technology Ministry Tuesday.

“A five-day school week system will be introduced on a voluntary basis at all elementary, middle and high schools nationwide in earnest beginning with the 2012 school year,” the ministry said.

Since schools have different educational environments for class, the ministry plans to require school steering committees to review the system and implement it on a voluntary basis.

In line with the expansion of the five-day workweek at companies in Korea, the five-day workweek for the entire population will start in full swing from next year.

The implementation of the five-day school week does not mean a simple reduction of a school`s operating hours. In proportion to the increase in number of off-school days, families and society will take over the educational roles of schools.

The five-day school week system, however, has fueled fears over a hike in private tutoring expenses and lowering of academic performance.

As such, the government will test the new system at 10 percent of elementary and middle schools from this year’s second half. The system will be operated on a trial basis at certain schools to make final check on side effects that could arise from the expansion of the five-day school week as well as countermeasures.

First, child care classes will be conducted every Saturday for children whose parents both work and those from low-income families at all elementary and special purpose schools. By building a pan-government network, the government will also expand childhood and youth programs through the weekend, which will be managed by child care centers under the Health and Welfare Ministry and the Gender Equality and Family Ministry.

In tune with the full implementation of the five-day school week, the number of school days will also be adjusted as well. The school year will be cut from 220 days to 190 days by revising the executive ordinance of the school week system. The number of classes per week will remain the same, however, at 25 to 34 at different schools.

An Education Ministry source said, “Since the number of weekly classes was already fixed in 2009 under the presumption that the five-day school week system would be introduced, there will be no problems operating educational curricula.”