The Ministry of Education delivered a notice on the 18th stating that a large-scale collective leave of absence by medical students at 40 medical schools nationwide (including graduate schools of medicine) is not permitted.
In a notice sent to medical schools on this day under the name of the Minister of Education, the Ministry of Education noted, “We have repeatedly informed that a collective large-scale leave of absence as part of collective action cannot be a legitimate reason for leave.”
The Ministry of Education added, “Medical schools have a responsibility for the operation of the educational curriculum following the large-scale collective leave of absence and subsequent return of medical students, so they should decide on the approval of leave considering the educational conditions of the university,” and requested, “Please take measures not to approve leave applications that are formally for personal reasons but practically for collective large-scale leave applications.”
The reason the Ministry of Education sent a notice to medical schools on this day is that there is currently no movement among medical students for a large-scale return. The government previously stated on the 7th that if all medical students return by the end of this month, the recruitment quota for the 2026 academic year will revert to the previous level of 3,058 students. However, it was noted that disciplinary actions such as academic warnings, retention, and expulsion will be enforced according to academic regulations if they do not return.
The Ministry of Education also stated in the notice that, “Long-term academic disruption and gaps in the training of medical personnel pose a significant risk of impacting the crucial national foundation of the healthcare system, which may greatly harm the health and lives of the public in the future.”