More than 500 medical school students across the nation submitted leave of absence requests on Tuesday in protest of the government’s plan to increase the medical school admissions quota.

The education ministry said on Wednesday that an inspection of 40 medical schools nationwide found that 512 students had filed for a leave of absence the previous day, raising the cumulative total to eight-thousand-360. 

The updated tally amounts to 44-point-five percent of the nation’s medical students. 

The ministry said that none of the applications deemed part of students' collective action have been approved and added that students are boycotting classes at eight medical schools.