A recent report shows that secondary school academic performances were negatively impacted as the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to conduct remote classes for the second year in 2021.

According to the education ministry and the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation on Monday, the academic proficiency of students in their third year of middle school and second year of high school was lower compared to pre-pandemic years.

In particular, the number of second year high schoolers who underachieved in 2021 worsened from the year before,with between seven and 14 percent of students falling short of the basic standards in Korean, mathematics or English. 

To lessen the gap, the education ministry will devise mid- to long-term plans to resolve the issue, with the intention of announcing them by October.

The evaluation was based on proficiency in Korean, mathematics and English of around 22-thousand students in their third year of middle school and second year of high school, or three percent of the total students in those years.