Almost nine in 10 young students in South Korea prefer in-person classes to online ones, in spite of the risks of coronavirus infections, a poll showed on Wednesday.
According to the survey on 685 elementary, middle and high school students conducted from April 25 to May 3 by a local teachers’ group, 87.1 per cent of them say they want to go to school and study.
The survey says, even though they are exposed to the risk of catching COVID-19, ‘’we still prefer being in class’’.
In a similar response, 71.5 per cent said they would like to keep attending in-person classes even if the number of COVID-19 patients continues to rise.
Asked about online classes based on virtual conference tools like Zoom and Google Meet, only 19.8 per cent expressed satisfaction, with 41.3 per cent saying they were dissatisfied.
The preference for in-person classes was stronger among elementary school students than among middle and high school students.
Over 63 per cent of elementary school students said they enjoy going to school more often this year than last year.
But only 46.2 per cent of middle and high school students gave the same response.
In-person classes have gradually expanded this year as concerns over educational and nurturing vacuums increased due to the prolonged pandemic.
But 37.7 per cent of middle and high school students were found to have experienced more difficulty in keeping up with their studies amid the pandemic, compared with 24 per cent of elementary students.
Disruptions to daily routines due to the decreased school days were more serious among middle and high school students, the poll showed.
Nearly one in four middle and high school students said they have not been living a regular life since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic last year, while only one in 10 elementary school students said so.
