[COVID-19 in Korea] Using 'Drive-thru', Handing out Textbooks

등록 2020.03.20 11:19

수정 2020.03.20 11:33

▲The teachers at Pungcheon Middle School in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do are handing out the textbooks using the drive-through system.Jung Jin Hee

With the start of the school semester being postponed until April 6th because of the COVID-19, a middle school in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is handing out textbooks to students & parents in the 'drive-thru' fashion.

On March 18th, according to the parents of Pungcheon Middle School in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, the school has been handing out the new textbooks for two days since that day at the main gate. On the first day, the textbooks were distributed to 87 students in the 9 classes of the first grade by one-hour intervals respectively. The textbooks will also be handed out for second and third graders in the morning and afternoon on the 19th.

The school sent a letter titled 'Textbook Distribution Plan', which says the school parents can drive past, prove their identities in the car, and receive the textbooks. Also, it says the parents or students who can't bring their cars can 'walk in and get the books.'

And as a precaution, the school urged their students and the school parents to 'keep the designated time, wear a mask, and maintain the social distance.'

On the distributing day, the homeroom teachers had 13 textbooks tied up in front of the school gate and waited. Then, when the parents' cars arrived and lowered the window, they simply checked their personal information and put their textbooks in the car.

Ms. Jeong Jin-hee, a first-year parent who received the book in this way, said in a telephone interview with <OhmyNews>, "I was very grateful that my homeroom teacher with a mask gave out textbooks while greeting me with bright eyes outside the car. I think it was a good idea because under this situation, if I had to go into the staffroom to get the textbooks, I would feel a bit uncomfortable."

The vice-principal Lee Jae-eun said, "The start of the school semester was postponed, wanted to receive the new textbooks. So we had a meeting to come with the idea of distributing them efficiently. And the school parents like the way we handed out the books using the 'social distance' manner."

The school did not distribute textbooks to all parents en masse, but received applications from the parents who wanted to get them in advance.

Written by Yoon Keun Hyeuk
Translated by Youngae Joanna Kim

* This report is the English version of OhmyNews Korean article. If you want to read the original article in Korean, click here!

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