Seoul, Apr 9 (IANS): Tens of thousands of South Korean middle school and high school seniors on Thursday returned to school via remote learning, as classrooms remain closed amid the coronavirus pandemic that has infected 10,424 people in the country.

Students across the country greeted their classmates and teachers from their living rooms or bedrooms as they logged onto digital platforms, such as Zoom or Google Classroom, to begin the new school year, reports the Yonhap News Agency.

The government had postponed the new school year, which usually starts in March, by five weeks to Monday.

But the plan changed as unexpected cluster infections broke out in various parts of the country.

Last week, the government announced plans to first resume online classes for seniors at middle and high schools before expanding the remote learning program to other grades.

Grades one and two at middle schools and high schools, as well as grades four to six at elementary schools, will begin the new semester on April 16.

Grades one to three at elementary schools will start taking online classes from April 20, while the national college entrance exam has been pushed back by two weeks to December 3.

Classes at kindergartens and child care centres have been indefinitely postponed, said the Yonhap News Agency report.

Schools have been advised to carry out remote learning through various approaches, such as classes involving real-time interaction, using online lectures prerecorded by the national educational TV channel, and giving projects and homework to students.

The coronavirus has killed a total of 204 people in South Korea since it was first reported in January.