작년부터 올해까지 영국 및 잉글랜드에서 실시된 코로나19 규제 조치의 흐름을 살펴보면 다음과 같다. 영국은 2020년 3월 26일부터 발령된 1차 전국 봉쇄령에 따라 전면 휴교령이 내렸으며, 이후 전국 봉쇄령이 조건부로 완화됨에 따라 잉글랜드에서는 같은 해 6월 1일부터 일부 학년부터 순차적으로 등교수업이 재개되었다. 이후에도 잉글랜드는 2021년 1월 6일부터 3차 전국 봉쇄령이 발효되었으며, 다시 3월 8일을 기점으로 일부 학년부터 단계적으로 전면 등교가 재개되어 전 학년을 대상으로 전면 등교가 확대 시행되었다. 현재 잉글랜드의 경우에는 정부가 발표한 ‘4단계 로드맵’ 중 3단계 규제 조치가 적용 중인데, 해당 단계에서는 전면 등교를 원칙으로 한다. 

  영국은 올 6월부터 확진자 수가 급증하고 있는 가운데, 7월 11일 현재 일일 확진자 수는 32,367명으로 집계되었다. 영국은 코로나19 백신 접종을 적극 권장하는 ‘코로나19 백신 프로그램’을 공격적으로 추진 중이며, 잉글랜드의 경우에는 현재 백신 접종 대상자의 연령이 만 18세까지로 내려온 상태이다. 7월 11일을 기준으로 영국에서 만 18세 이상 성인 중 86.9%가 1차 접종을 완료하였고, 65.6%는 2차 접종까지 완료하였다. 이로써 현재 영국은 100명당 백신 접종률(1차 접종 완료)이 전 세계에서 두 번째로 높은 국가가 되었다. 

  전국 봉쇄로 인한 휴교 기간에는 핵심 직종 종사자의 자녀에 한하여 등교를 허용하여 기본적인 돌봄 서비스를 제공하였으며, 그 이외의 학생에게는 전면 온라인 체제 또는 온오프라인 병행 체제를 이용한 원격수업을 진행하였다. 교육부(이하 DfE)의 ‘원격교육 우수 실제(Remote Education Good Practice)’ 지침이 제시하는 일선 학교의 원격교육 운영사례에 따르면, 온라인 수업을 제공할 때에는 마이크로소프트 팀즈(Microsoft Teams)나 구글 클래스룸(Google Classroom) 등 쌍방향 온라인 플랫폼을 이용하여 수업을 전개하고, 이와 같은 디지털 플랫폼과 쉽게 연동이 가능한 룸(Loom) 등의 비디오 녹화 애플리케이션을 사용하여 교사가 사전에 수업을 녹화하였다고 한다. 또한, 온라인 실시간 강의 중에는 구글 폼즈(Google Forms), 카훗(Kahoot) 등의 채팅 프로그램을 사용하여 교사가 학생에게 실시간 피드백과 채점을 제공하기도 하였다. 한편, 온라인 수업이 여의치 않은 경우에는 교사가 교수·학습자료를 이메일로 전송하거나 출력된 자료를 직접 학교에서 받게 하는 등의 대안을 통해 학생이 수업을 지속하게 하는 한편, 완료한 과제는 교사의 이메일 주소로 제출하거나 스마트폰으로 사진을 찍어서 전송하는 등 다양한 방법이 동원되었다. 

  이처럼 코로나19 사태로 인한 원격수업의 필요성이 증가함에 따라 교육부는 2020년 4월에 ‘오크 전국아카데미(Oak National Academy)’라는 온라인 학교를 설립하고, 2020년 9월 새 학기부터 학령 전 단계부터 중등단계까지 학교가 무상으로 이용할 수 있는 온라인 녹화 강의와 교수·학습자료를 개발하였다. 운영 첫 학기 평가 결과를 담은 오크 전국아카데미(2020)의 보고서에 따르면 약 2,000만 차시의 수업이 제공되었고, 이용자는 470만 명을 돌파하였으며, 교사 응답자 중 86%로부터 긍정적인 평가를 받았다.

  한편, 영국 교육부는 코로나19로 인해 원격수업 기간에도 기존의 무상급식 대상자(자가격리자 포함)에게 계속 무상급식을 제공할 것을 강력히 권고하고 있다(DfE, 24, May 2021). 또한, 교육부는 2020년 3월부터 8월까지 그리고 2021년 1월 18일부터 2월 12일까지 국가상품권 계획(National Voucher Scheme)’을 실시하여 학교가 제공하는 도시락을 수령이나 배달이 어려운 경우에 학교가 무상급식 대상자에 15파운드(한화 약 2만 3,500원) 상당의 상품권(voucher)을 매주 제공하도록 재정을 지원하였다. 

교내 확진자 조속한 식별을 위한 간이검사 도입 
  전국 또는 지역 봉쇄가 해제된 후에는 높은 단계의 규제 조치가 적용된다고 하더라도 교내에서 확진자가 발생하여 일시 휴교 중인 학교를 제외하고는 등교수업을 의무화하고 있다. 이에 교육부는 확진자나 자가 격리 중인 학생이 수업을 지속할 수 있도록 학교가 이들을 위한 원격수업을 제공할 것을 의무화함으로써 일시적으로 등교수업과 원격수업을 병행하게 하였다. 교육부의 ‘코로나19 학교 운영 지침’에 따라 학교가 제공해야 하는 학년별 원격교육 최소 시간은 초등학교 1∼2학년의 경우 일일 평균 3시간, 초등학교 3~4학년은 일일 4시간, 중등학생(7~11학년)은 일일 5시간이다(DfE, 24, May 2021). 원격학습을 통한 온라인 강의는 사전 녹화 수업이나 실시간 스트리밍 수업을 모두 허용하며, 학생이 혼자서 완성할 수 있는 과업과 숙제가 포함된다(DfE, 19, April 2020). 온라인 강의는 반드시 담당 교사가 진행할 필요는 없으며, 앞에서 소개한 오크 전국아카데미와 같이 외부의 교육 관련 기관에서 개발 및 배포하는 녹화 강의로 대체할 수 있다. 

  전면 등교 재개를 맞아 일선 학교가 실시한 다양한 안전조치들 중에는 반별로 쉬는 시간에 시차를 두어 운영하며, ‘버블(bubble)’ 단위로 수업과 학생을 관리하고 운영하는 방안 등이 포함된다. 버블이란 기존에 한 반에 속한 학생을 소집단으로 나누어 항상 같은 소집단끼리 모여 수업을 받고 이동하게 함으로써 학생 간 밀접접촉자의 규모를 줄이고, 교내 확진자 발생 시 자가 격리가 필요한 밀접접촉자의 파악을 용이하게 하는 조치이다. 이외에도 학생 간 접촉을 최소화하기 위해 학년별 또는 학급별로 등하교에 시차를 두어 운영 운영하거나, 학년별로 한 주는 등교하고 나머지 한주는 가정에서 원격교육으로 대체하는 격주 등교 조치인 순환제(rota system)를 도입하기도 하였다. 

  무증상 감염자가 증가함에 따라 전면 등교가 재개된 2021년 3월 8일부터 중등·후기중등학교를 대상으로 매주 2회에 걸쳐 교내에서 코로나 집단검사를 실시하는 선제적 예방 조치를 도입하였다. 이 검사에는 자가진단키트를 이용하여 30분 내 확진 여부를 알 수 있는 간이검사인 측면유동검사법(lateral flow test, 이하 LFT)이 도입되는데, 교내 확진자를 조속히 식별하고, 추적하며, 필요시 밀접접촉자에 대한 자가 격리 조치를 취하기 위함이다.

사회경제적 빈곤층 학생의 학력 문제에 적극 지원 
  원격수업이 진행됨에 따라 가정의 컴퓨터와 인터넷 보유 상황이 큰 화두로 부상하게 되었으며, 특히 사회경제적 빈곤층 가정이 컴퓨터나 인터넷 등 기본적인 디지털 접근성이 떨어지는 상황은 원격학습의 큰 난관으로 지적되었다. 이에 교육부는 2020년 4월부터 사회경제적 빈곤층 학생에게 노트북이나 태블릿PC 그리고 인터넷 데이터를 무상으로 제공하여 원격수업을 지속할 수 있도록 지원하고 있다. 또한, 학교와 교원에게는 원격교육을 지원하기 위한 디지털 활용 연수과정을 무상으로 제공하고), 학생과 학부모에게는 디지털 기기 사용안내서를 정부 홈페이지를 통해 무상으로 제공하고 있다. 

  특히 가정에서 원격교육이 진행될 때에는 저학년일수록 학부모의 참여에 따라 학생의 성취도가 결정되는 경우가 많음에도 불구하고 디지털 문해력이 떨어지는 학부모가 존재한다는 점이 문제점으로 지적되었다. 이를 위해 학교는 전화, 문자, 이메일, SNS 또는 가정방문을 통해 학부모와 정기적으로 연락하고, 자녀의 학습을 지원하는 데 필요한 내용을 비디오 클립으로 제작하여 제공하며, 온라인 학부모 면담을 진행하기도 하였다.

  휴교 중에도 원격학습이 진행되었음에도 불구하고 학생의 학력 저하 문제, 특히, 코로나19 사태 이후 빈부격차로 인한 학력 격차가 더 심화되고 있음을 보여주는 연구결과들이 발표되면서 학생 간 교육격차를 해소하는 문제가 교육계의 주요 화두로 논의되고 있다. 코로나19로 인해 발생한 사회경제적 빈곤층 학생의 학력 저하 문제를 해결하기 위해 정부는 2020년 6월에 10억 파운드(한화 약 1조 5,706억 6,000만 원) 규모의 캐치업 재정(catch-up funding) 지원 계획을 발표하였다. 이 계획에 따라 정부는 2020~2021년에 각 학교에 사회경제적 빈곤층 학생을 위한 일회성 지원금으로 6억 5,000만 파운드(한화 약 1조 209억 2,900만 원)를 편성하고, 나머지 3억 5,000만 파운드(한화 약 5,497억 3,100만 원)는 초·중등단계(후기중등단계 포함)의 사회경제적 빈곤층 학생의 교내 보충수업(소집단 또는 일대일 지도) 지원금으로 편성하였다. 

  또한, 사회경제적 빈곤층 학생의 경우에는 다양한 교과 외 활동을 학교에 전적으로 의존하는 경우가 많기에 사회·정서·신체적 발달의 측면에서도 코로나19 사태의 직격탄을 맞을 수밖에 없었다. 이에 교육부는 2020년과 올해 여름방학에 중등학교가 운영하는 여름학교 프로그램에 재정을 지원함으로써 사회경제적 빈곤층 학생이 중등학교 입학 전에 초등단계에서 뒤처진 학력을 만회할 뿐만 아니라 스포츠를 비롯한 다양한 교과 외 활동을 제공하게 하였다. 

  코로나19 사태로 인해 학교재정의 일부가 소모되는 상황은 결국 학교가 재정적 부담을 겪는 문제로 연결됨에 따라 지난해 교육부는 코로나19 대처를 위한 추가 재정을 지원하기로 발표하였다. 해당 발표 지침에 따르면 단위학교의 재학생 수에 따라 적게는 2만 5,000파운드(재학생 수 250명 이하)(한화 약 3,927만 원)부터 많게는 7만 5,000파운드(재학생 수 1,000명 이상)(한화 약 1억 1,780만 원)까지 추가 지원금이 책정되었다.

9월 새 학기 앞두고 전면 등교 원칙 고수 
  정부는 올해 9월 신학기에도 역시 전면 등교 원칙을 고수하고 있는 상황에서 일부 교원단체는 개학 전까지 중등학생에 해당하는 만 12세 이상의 청소년을 코로나19 백신 우선 접종 대상자로 지정하여 개학 전에 최소한 1차 접종을 완료할 것을 촉구하였다. 그러나 주무 부처인 보건복지부는 청소년에 대한 코로나 백신 접종 결정을 일단 보류하기로 하였다.

  게다가 정부가 계획 중인 4단계 로드맵이 실시되면, 지금까지 학교에 적용되던 각종 규제 조치 역시 전면 완화된다는 점에서 전면 등교의 안전성에 대한 일선 학교의 우려가 제기되고 있다. 특히, 정부의 최근 발표에 따르면 학교에 적용되던 자가 격리 조치 및 버블 조치가 전면 해제되고 정기적으로 실시하는 LFT로 예방조치를 대신할 예정이다. 이에 교원단체는 LFT의 정확도가 떨어지는 만큼 실제 확진자가 음성 판정을 받고 등교할 가능성을 우려하고 있다(Times Education Supplement, 1, July 2021). 또한, 교원단체는 교육부가 보다 정확한 안전 지침을 발표하여 일선 학교의 교육 차질을 최소화할 수 있도록 지원해 줄 것을 요구하였다(Association of School and College Leaders, 1, July 2021; Association of School and College Leaders, 5, July 2021; National Education Union, 6, July 2021; National Education Union, 8, July 2021).



[참고자료]
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· Department for Education(31, March 2020). Voucher scheme launches for schools providing free school meals. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/voucher-scheme-launches-for-schools-providing-free-school-meals (2021. 7. 11. 인출)
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