Schools nationwide will normalize curricular and extracurricular operations for the first time in two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic as the educational system transitions to a post-omicron response system.

Education minister Yoo Eun-hae said on Wednesday that during a preparation period extending to the end of this month, infected students and teaching staff will still be subject to a seven-day quarantine.

The schools will conduct their own epidemiological studies and advise everyone to take a rapid antigen test once a week.

Starting May 1, all schools and kindergartens will resume in-person learning and extracurriculars while suspending remote learning and epidemiological studies.

Local education offices will be allowed to decide whether to maintain the recommendation for preemptive testing, and dental and surgical masks will also be permitted in schools.

In line with the government's social distancing adjustment, the ministry will put forth a new guideline for attendance, absences and grade evaluations effective May 23.

The minister, however, said existing regulations on indoor mask-wearing, temperature checks, regular ventilation and the installment of plastic screens at cafeterias will remain during the first semester.